Victorious One Shot Requests!
by Jmags-WriterofAwesomeness
Summary: I know lots of people have done this before, but I've decided to put my own spin on it! You can request any character/pairing, genre, etc. (see "Introduction" inside) and I'll write a one-shot to match your specifications! Just PM me or put your suggestion in a review and I'll get to it as soon as I can.
1. Chapter 1

_Hey everyone! Like I said in the summary, I know a lot of people have done this idea before, but I wanted to try it out because it sounds like a lot of fun and I can put my own spin on the one shots that maybe a lot of people wouldn't think of. Now I have more time to write (until the end of January, to be exact), so hopefully I'll be able to pop these out really quickly! And I will write EVERYONE'S suggestions unless I get majorly blocked on how to write one, so everyone gets to participate! Yay!_

_**Definitely include these things in your suggestion:**_

_***Character/Pairing you want me to center the one shot around (and if the pairing is friendship or romantic)**_

_***Genre you want me to write the story in (Horror, Romance, Action/Comedy/Romance, etc.)**_

_**And also include one of these things along with the pairing and genre: These are the following specifications I will agree to do.**_

_***Parody of a TV show, part of a movie, book, etc. However, if I do not know the movie you speak of, I might not do it.**_

_***Rewrite of a Victorious episode focusing on your suggested character(s)**_

_***Songfiction (include the name of the song and the author in your PM/review)**_

_***Stories based on one subject or word (Ex: Jealousy, Ham, Buttersock, etc.)**_

_***AU (Ex: A fantasy world, the 1950's, if Hollywood Arts never existed, etc.)**_

_****__If you have any other ideas to add in the last category, tell me and I'll see what I can do! And please please PLEASE follow the directions or else I will refuse to write it. Have fun with this- I know I will! And I know I haven't updated Following the Stars in a while- I'll get to it eventually! So please keep following me because I'm not going anywhere anytime soon! :D_

_Jess_


	2. When in doubt, drink hot chocolate

**Tandre, Romance, Belgian Hot Chocolate, Rewrite of Jade Gets Crushed**

**Dedicated to LadyPooh**

_"Mmm, this hot cocoa is good."_

_"It's from Belgium."_

_"Yeah, I guess that's why, then."_

_~Andre and Tori in __Jade Gets Crushed_

* * *

Andre loved everything about hot chocolate- the way the chocolate melted into his taste buds and made him feel like the happiest guy in the world; the sugary sweetness of the tiny little marshmallows dancing on the tip of his tongue; and the warmth of the hot, delicious liquid as it slithered down his throat and left a fuzzy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

He remembered when his grandmother used to make it for him in the winter before she lost her mind. She would use her own special recipe- "All you need is a dash of love and a sprinkle of care," she would say to him, but he knew the ingredients by heart anyway: bittersweet chocolate, milk, a teaspoon of sugar, and a little bit of cinnamon to give it a special, spicy flavor. All she needed to do was boil everything in a saucepan and voila! The perfect hot chocolate was ready to be engulfed by Andre's enormous sweet tooth.

However, hot chocolate became a scarcity in the Harris household once his siblings went off to college and his grandmother became more and more mentally unstable every day. Nowadays, she could barely tell the difference between dark chocolate and white chocolate! So he didn't even bother asking her to make it for him, nor did he want to waste his money on some crappy, store-made hot chocolate that probably constituted of syrup, insane amounts of sugar, and water.

But on that very day, when Tori introduced to him the magic of Belgium hot chocolate while he was freaking out about being in love with Jade, he decided that it wouldn't hurt to say that this foreign drink was the second best hot chocolate he had ever had. Even though he knew Tori had just mixed the cocoa powder with some hot water, there was something unique about it that always had him wanting more.

Hot chocolate was Tori and Andre's official "calming drink." He would make it for her whenever she was freaking out about a song she had to perform or a test she had to ace, and she would do the same thing for him. This time, it happened to be for Andre's unintentional crush on Jade. He was feeling wonky about falling in love with a girl that already had a boyfriend, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not get her out of his head. Her affectionate nature that one night stuck to him like glue and became a sweet memory mixed in with all the other things he secretly liked about her: her confident attitude, her kick-ass comebacks, and the riveting, colorful streaks in her hair.

Usually, hot chocolate calms Andre down- but not this time. For some odd reason, this time was different. It wasn't until two days later, after singing 365 Days to Jade and going out with that girl after his and Tori's duet, did he feel more relaxed.

It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. Tori was right- he was able to get his feelings out and have Jade think nothing of the real inspiration behind the song at the same time. And Mirabelle, the girl that asked him out, took his mind off the situation once and for all.

He stopped reminiscing and sighed in frustration. Now that the whole ordeal was over, he got back to songwriting. He had the melody and the harmony all planned out but couldn't find the lyrics to go with them. He looked at his piano wordlessly and stroked his fingers over the keys, wondering when she would arrive to help him with the song.

He heard a knocking on his bedroom door behind him followed by the creak of the metal hinges. "Hey Andre!" a voice said cheerily. "How's the song going?"

She plopped down next to him on his bed. "Pretty good, I guess. Still haven't been able to think of any lyrics yet."

A sweet smell surrounded him and his mood perked up as he inhaled deeply. He knew that smell by heart. "You brought hot chocolate?"

"Uh-uh. Not just _any_ hot chocolate. My mom finally bought that stuff from Belgium so I brought over a cup to help my co-writer finish his song." Andre turned around and saw Tori aimlessly twirling a candy cane around in the hot chocolate. Her cheeks were still flushed from the cold and her big, brown eyes twinkled with merry. "You want it?"

"Nah, I don't want to take your Belgium chocolate away from you, muchacha. But thanks for the offer."

"Andreeee," she whined. "I didn't drink out of it. I made it especially for you! I saw how preoccupied you were in Sikowitz's class today and I thought this would cheer you up."

Andre raised an eyebrow at her and felt his willpower wavering. A smile slowly turned the corners of his lips up. "Go on."

"Okay… Oh, Mr. Music Man!" She placed the coffee down on the bedside table and threw her arms up dramatically in the air. "Because of your amazing musical talents and kind, warm soul, I hereby present to you the gift of the magnificent and rare Belgian hot chocolate made especially for you by your very best friend, Tori Vega."

He snickered. "Okay, now I'm amused. Hand it over."

He took it in his hands and gulped down half of it before he could stop himself. He promised himself to save the rest for it later and savor it while it lasted. "The peppermint is a nice touch."

"Thought you'd like to try something new," she said. "The same old, same old must get boring after a while."

"Yeah, I guess the same old routine can get boring after a while, but I never get tired of this."

Upon seeing the fond look appear on his face, Tori became confused. "Are you talking about the hot chocolate or us two working together?"

"Both."

Tori's cheeks became a rosy pink color, a little lighter than the beet red color than they had turned from the cold weather and Andre couldn't tell if she was blushing or not. "Well, good because I like doing this too."

They basked in their little moment before averting their eyes awkwardly. Tori cleared her throat and picked up her notebook that she had laid on the bed. "Shall we get started?"

"Indeed we shall!"

She giggled and playfully pushed his shoulder. "You're silly."

"Indeed I am!"

"Stop talking like that!"

* * *

"Okay, so how about this for the chorus." Tori's eyes scanned the lyrics she had written across the page and started to sing. "_I feel no sympathy, you live inside a cave. You barely get by the rest of us, you're trying, there's no need to apologize. I've got no time for feeling sorry._"

Andre widened his eyes in awe. "Dang, girl… that was amazing."

Tori rolled her eyes. "You've said that like ten times already."

"Doesn't mean that I don't mean it every time."

"Oh, stop." By this time, there was no doubt that Tori was definitely blushing. "Remind me again why we're writing such a depressing song?"

"My teacher said we should write something out of our comfort zone, but still means a lot to us. My dad has been unemployed for three years and he still hasn't found a job. Not only that, but also he barely talks to us anymore. He's pretty much a walking zombie at this point."

He fidgeted in his place, his fingers wanting to touch something. Anything. They stopped moving when he felt Tori put a hand on his thigh. "I'm sorry, 'Dre. I never knew," she said sympathetically, her eyes meeting his.

"Thanks," he mumbled, his heart skipping a beat at her touch.

Tori glanced over to where Andre's empty, red hot chocolate mug was sitting. "Dude, you didn't eat the candy cane! That's the best part!"

Andre smirked. "You want it?"

"If you're not going to eat it, I will."

"Who said I wasn't going to eat it?"

Tori gave him the evil eye. "Don't mess with me, boy."

He grabbed the candy cane and held it just high enough that she couldn't reach it. "Jump, girl, jump!"

"What am I, a dog?!" she exclaimed, reaching out to tickle his stomach. "Give it up!"

"Okay, okay. Sheesh, you're persistent." Her nimble fingers gladly took the candy cane and she nibbled on the sharp end of the stick. "You know I chewed on that part, right?"

She looked at him weirdly. "So? Why should I care?"

He sighed. "Never mind."

She continued to suck on the candy cane in content. Andre looked at her flawless frame, her cute little cheekbones, her lips maneuvering around the candy cane, and a realization hit him. "You know what? I don't even know why I fell for Jade in the first place."

Her mouth dropped open and she almost lost her candy cane. "That's what I've been trying to tell you, Andre! See?"

"Calm down, girl, you didn't let me finish. The one time she was ever nice to me was when we were writing the song."

Tori got up and stood in front of him. "Exactly! Jade is a mean, bitter girl. She's not right for you."

He smiled and stood up to meet her gaze. "Yeah, you're right. I like the exact opposite, actually. Nice, sweet…" He stepped a little closer to her. "Someone I can have fun with all the time and wouldn't insult me at every chance she got."

Tori stared at him like a deer in the headlights. "What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying that I think I was in love with the wrong girl. I just didn't figure out my mistake until now."

He gave her a knowing look, and the implication of what he had just said clicked in her head. "Wait…" she said, her voice trembling. "You're in love with me? But what about your date with Mirabelle?"

He chuckled softly and stroked her cheek. "Let's just say that she did not have what I was looking for and leave it at that."

He started to lean in but found that he didn't have to. Surprisingly enough, Tori had already gone in for the kiss. It was short- not much longer than five seconds- but it was enough to leave them both breathless.

Andre chuckled and took her hand in his. "I'm guessing I don't have to ask you to be my girlfriend?"

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Nope," she said, smiling up at him.

He kissed her again with a lot more passion. His lips tingled with a new sensation, a flavor much better and savoring than what he was used to. Peppermint and Belgian chocolate?

He could definitely get used to that.

* * *

_Haha, I had fun writing this one! They really do need more moments on the show. I would've done the Rade suggestion first, but I've never seen Perks of Being a Wallflower before and I'm not allowed to go on Youtube in school, which is where I started writing this one shot. I was going to watch clips of the movie and then write it, but I couldn't. I will next time, though! Thanks for the suggestion, LadyPooh, and tell me what you think of it! Reviews are always accepted here ;)_

_Oh, and the lyrics I used were from "Feeling Sorry" by Paramore. Yeah, I know, completely weird and random song choice. But you know what? I made it work ;D_


	3. I'll wait for you

**Candre, Romance, Songfic to "Gotta Tell You" by Samantha Mumba**

**Dedicated to Candreforever**

* * *

_Your love for me came as a waterfall_

_Flowing inside me like never before_

_Your love for me, something I didn't see_

_But baby, I know better now._

* * *

Andre hated all of Cat's relationships in high school. He only thought of her as a friend at the time, but that didn't stop him from getting upset every time she had a bad breakup.

Cat was probably the sweetest, most pure being he had ever known. Her smile was catchy and her laugh was high-pitched (almost matching that of a piccolo) with a nice melody to it. It made him rethink even the worst of his bad moods. If she could be in good spirits all the time, why couldn't he?

So one can imagine what it's like when Cat is depressed and trudging down the Hollywood Arts hallways in dark, opaque colors with that "I'm sad; please ask me why!" button pinned on her backpack. When she wasn't happy, almost no one was happy.

It's like she had that halo effect on people- she rubbed off of everyone. Andre couldn't help but feel bad for her on those melancholy days, when she would sit at the lunch table with her eyes cast down towards the table, slowly chewing on the lettuce in her salad with puffy, red eyes and a frown on her face. And yet he was the only one that seemed to notice when no one else did.

Today just happened to be one of those days. Tori was arguing with Robbie and Rex about how the concept of a "spork" was just weird, and Beck and Jade- surprise, surprise, were back together and arguing about something he knew was not his business.

Having nothing better to do but watch the actions of those around him, he glanced over at Cat, who was picking at her salad. She was wearing a black t-shirt with white writing on it and jeans- a sure sign that something was bothering her. He thought about inviting her over to sit next to him, but considering how crowded their table was already and how comfortable everyone seemed in their seats, he decided against it. All he could do was sit and observe her, wondering what douche bag broke her heart this time.

Then, without warning, she jumped out of her seat, flipping her salad into the air in the process. She hastily grabbed her backpack and her friends watched, frozen with surprise, as she fled from the Asphalt Café.

"I'll go get her," Andre said quickly. He got up and started to follow her path.

He wove through the many hallways of Hollywood Arts, following the scent of her strong, fruity perfume, and eventually found her sitting below her locker with her face buried in her hands.

"Andre, go awaaaay," she moaned without looking up. "I don't want to talk to anyone right now."

"How did you know I was the one that followed you?" he asked her. He stood in front of her with his hands shoved inside his pockets, not knowing what to do next.

"You breathe really fast and you're very heavy on your feet when you run. Plus, you called out my name. I knew you were worried about me by the inflections in your voice as you yelled and how your voice got higher the farther you followed me."

Andre stared at her in shock. "How…" he stammered. "How did you know all of that?"

Cat looked up and patted a space on the floor next to her with her hand, signaling for him to sit next to her. He hesitantly lowered himself down next to her, as if she could flip out at him any second. "I'm really good at observing people around me. People just don't realize it because I take a long time to understand stuff. I store these observations in my head and use them as needed as time goes on."

_Ah, that explains why she is the way she is,_ he thought. _She concentrates on remembering things for the future instead of focusing on what's going around her now._ "Have you ever thought of telling anyone about this?"

"No, because no one would understand." She pouted but then gave Andre a warm smile. "Except for you."

Andre smiled back, glad that he was able to get her out of her funk. "So now that you're feeling better, Lil' Red, why don't you tell me what has got you all freaked out lately?"

She sighed. "No one asked me to Prome this year. I was really hoping someone would ask me too because everyone else has a date!" She pouted. "Beck and Jade are going together, Tori's going with her boyfriend Carson, Robbie is still really sick so he can't go, and you're going with Hazel."

He shifted awkwardly in his spot. Man, lockers really weren't the most comfortable things to lean against. "Um, Cat… Hazel and I broke up a week ago."

She gasped. "Really? Oh gosh, I'm sorry, Andre! I never knew…" She laughed and shook her head in amusement. "I just thought that she had caught the flu from Robbie."

"You didn't see my changed relationship status on TheSlap?" he asked her. "It says _single _now."

Cat twirled a strand of her red velvet hair between her fingers. "I guess I didn't…"

"Well, if you don't mind me asking…" He stood up and offered his hand to Cat. She took it gratefully and he hoisted her up as if she weighed next to nothing. "Since we both don't have dates, would you like to go to Prome with me?"

Her eyes widened to the size of golfballs. "Oh my gosh! Yes, yes! Of course I would!" she squealed as she barreled into his chest for a hug. "Thanks so much, Andre!" She gave him a quick peck on his cheek in his excitement. "I have to go tell everyone now!"

He chuckled to himself and watched her prance down the hallway towards the Asphalt Café. He could only think of one thing to describe what had just happened between the two of them.

_That girl is something else._

* * *

_When you walked in the room that very night_

_A special feeling just burst inside_

_There was only you, nobody else_

_But baby, I know better now._

* * *

Cat sat on her staircase in the salmon pink prom dress that she was going to wear to Prome. It was long and strapless with gold beads scattered across the chest and a silky skirt that fell just above her ankles. It took her hours to find just the right dress for this special occasion. She loved it, of course- she just hoped it would impress one person in particular.

Soon enough, the doorbell echoed throughout the house. She was so nervous that when she heard the ring, she shrieked and jumped off the stairs. She hurriedly put her gold high heels on her feet and hobbled to the front door. She took a deep breath before turning the doorknob, revealing a very handsome-looking boy in a tuxedo and a pink tie.

"Hey Lil' Red! Whoa…" He scanned her up and down. "You look amazing tonight."

She blushed. "Thanks! I bought it from Michael's Bridal Shop."

"Seriously? My stepsister works there!"'

"No way!" she exclaimed and started walking towards the living room, where her parents were waiting with their cameras at hand. "Was she there when I bought the dress?"

"I don't know. When did you buy it?"

"Yesterday."

"Dang, girl, that's late!"

He put a hand on her shoulder and they spent an hour talking, eating chips and salsa, and taking pictures. It was so nice that Cat wondered why they didn't do this more often. Sure, they've hung out together a few times in the past- but not as often now because of all the relationship drama going on between Beck and Jade and Tori and Carson.

It was a nice change from the ordinary routine. She felt at ease with him. He understood her mood swings and thought process, and she understood why he couldn't hold his feelings inside of him. Plus… he was kind of cute. And muscular. And not taken.

She could feel herself slowly falling for him. She never knew why she hadn't noticed Andre before. Probably because all of his past relationships had crumbled to the floor without her even knowing. And now that he was available, she didn't know what to do. Did he like her back? He _did_ ask her to Prome, after all…

Or maybe he just felt sorry for her. She really hoped that wasn't the case.

As they exited the house, Andre slung an arm around Cat's shoulder and a fuzzy feeling entered her chest. She knew what she had to do- she needed to know if he returned her feelings for him.

And she knew just how to do it.

* * *

_Don't wanna love you if you don't love me_

_Don't wanna need you when you won't need me too_

_Don't wanna tell you this now_

_But it wouldn't be right if I_

_Didn't tell you this tonight_

* * *

"Hey Andre?"

"Yeah?"

Cat sighed and rubbed her temples. "Can we go somewhere quiet? The music's really loud and I have a really bad headache."

"Sure thing, Lil' Red." He helped Cat up and he led her out of the Asphalt Café, leaving their untouched cups of fruit punch on the table.

Hand in hand, they walked to the Blackbox Theater. In her mind, Cat chortled to herself; she couldn't believe how sneaky she was being. It was so unlike her to lie about something as stupid as a headache! But it needed to be done.

Andre pulled a chair onto the stage and gestured for Cat to sit down. She blushed and accepted the offer gratefully. He then pulled up another chair and sat next to her. "You feeling okay, Cat? You usually like parties and dancing and chizz like that."

"No…I'm fine." Cat's fingers started tapping against her leg and her heart started to beat faster as she became more and more nervous about what she was about to tell him.

Andre leaned back and crossed his arms. "You're not fooling me, girl. I know something's up. What's going on?"

"Um…" She took a quick look around the room and scooted her chair closer to his. "There's something I need to tell you."

Andre looked at her worriedly. "Did your brother eat his pants again?"

"Nope! He's on a denim-free diet now," she giggled. She suddenly became serious again. "And no, it's not about my brother."

She fiddled with the skirt of her dress. "There's this guy and I really like him, but I don't know if he likes me back."

"Oh, c'mon, Cat. What guy wouldn't like you?"

Cat rolled her eyes. "You'd be surprised. Anyway, I just… I don't know what to do."

He put a hand on her knee, trying to comfort her. "I'm sure whatever you decide to do will work out fine. No one will be able to say no to a girl as pretty as you."

Cat's eyes sparkled with tears. "Thanks, Andre. That means a lot. And now I know exactly what to do."

She grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and kissed him. When she pulled away, all Andre could do was stare at her in shock. "Cat… what just happened?"

She jumped out of her seat and her mouth moved wordlessly. "I…I…"

She saw the emotions on his face clear as day: surprised, confused… but not happy. And Cat wanted him to be happy. If he didn't like her back… then so be it. She didn't want to bring him down like that.

"Liar!" she shouted. "God, you're so clueless sometimes, Andre!" And with that, she sprinted out of the room and into the bathroom.

* * *

_And now you're back inside my house again_

_I'm trying deeply to explain_

_'Cause baby, I wanna get it on _

_And baby, you're the one for me_

* * *

"Cat, someone's here to see you!"

Cat slowly opened her eyes and sat up on her living room couch. She had gotten a ride home from Tori and cried into her pillow all night when she came home. When she woke up, she had taken a shower immediately due to all the hairspray still mangled in her hair. Her eyes and cheeks were swollen and red, so she had to put on a lot of makeup to cover up her disappointment. She figured she must have fallen asleep watching TV afterwards.

"Give me a second, Mom!" She dashed to the bathroom and briefly brushed her hair and put on lipstick. She had only been sleeping for an hour, but her hair still looked like she had just crawled out of bed just moments ago.

She put on a fake happy face and opened the front door. Upon revealing who was behind it, she shrieked and crouched down behind it so he couldn't see her.

"Cat! It's me, Andre!"

"I know it's you!" she said. She tried to keep the tears from streaming down her face. "Now go away!"

"I'm not going anywhere unless you let me in and tell me why the heck you ran away last night."

She came out from behind the door and reluctantly let him in. Andre eventually got her to calm down by offering to help her make red velvet cupcakes. They spent an hour making the batter, baking the cupcakes in the oven, and frosting them while avoiding the subject as much as they could.

Once Cat had put red sprinkles on the last cupcake, Andre cornered her. "Cat, we need to talk now."

"I think I'm in love with you!" she blurted out without thinking and covered her mouth.

Andre's eyes widened. "Well, I guess that explains the kiss…"

"Of course it does, dummy!"

_Whoa,_ Andre thought. _This is so unlike Cat to act like this. She's really not in a good mood. _"Cat… I really like you too."

A glimmer of hope appeared in her brown eyes. "Really?"

"I do. It's just that after my breakup with Hazel, I'm not ready to put myself out there yet and date," Andre explained to her gently. "I really loved her and she broke my heart."

He took her hand and traced circles into her palm with his thumb, sending shivers up her back. "I don't want to ruin what we have by dating, okay? I care about you a lot."

Cat heard the words he said; she just didn't want to believe them. All that ran through her head was _I can't believe I got friend zoned. No way. This isn't happening right now. _

"Okay…" she said in a small, pitiful voice. "I understand."

He hugged her and lifted her up, making her squeal with glee. "Thanks, Cat. I really appreciate it."

Eventually, Andre had to go home and give his grandma her pills. Before he left, Cat kissed him on the cheek. "I'll wait for you," she whispered sweetly.

Andre blushed and grinned before he was out the door. Cat sighed and went back to her couch. She hoped that she wouldn't have to wait too long for him.

Little did she know that it would be a long time before she'd get the chance to see him again.

* * *

_And now that I have got you all alone_

_After all this talking on the phone_

_I should be strong, there's nothing wrong_

_I'll tell you this is where you belong, where you belong_

_There was just something in your eyes_

_That made me realize_

_Now I hear voices deep inside_

_Telling me, telling me it's you and I_

* * *

Cat found out over Christmas break that Andre was moving to North Carolina with his grandmother so he could be reunited with his parents again. Weirdly enough, she didn't find out from Andre himself. She found out from Tori.

"Why didn't he tell me?" she had gasped while she and Tori ate ice cream and chilled out on the Vega's sofa.

Tori gave her a sympathetic look. "I don't know. I don't think he wanted you to be sad because you tend to overreact sometimes."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"He'll be back soon, Cat. Once he goes to college, he said he'd come visit you as soon as he gets the chance."

He moved within a week after Tori told her the news. As soon as Robbie texted her and told her that he was off the plane and in North Carolina, she called him and they talked it over. Andre apologized profusely for not telling her; he was afraid that by telling her, she would think he was running away from her. Cat told him that that was absurd and they argued for a little bit, but Cat eventually forgave him.

High school came and went in a flash, and the gang slowly separated. Jade and Beck got picked to be the lead roles on a movie, and Tori was put on a record label. Robbie got a couple of gigs up in Washington doing ventriloquist acts with Rex, and Cat… well, she didn't know what she was going to do yet.

She took a year off of school and one day got a call asking her to audition for a Broadway play. To her delight, her audition made the cut and she got in.

She spent two more years performing in various Broadway musicals before she decided to go solo and pursue a career in music- and she knew the right person to call to help her out.

She and Andre had kept in touch over the years, but they hadn't seen each other in person since he had moved. She called him up and he agreed to help her out. He had gone to college in Florida (his reason? "Anywhere close to North Carolina is too cold. I just need to get out of that place.") and ended up graduating a year early because he got a job at a major record label called Demolition Records.

On a cold day in February, Cat was tending to her apartment. It was tiny; definitely much smaller than what she was used to. Her parents owned a big house. She even had had her own bathroom and TV! Now, her kitchen was practically the same size as her small room. She also had a living room, a basement, her bedroom, and that was it.

Even though it wasn't home, she did her best to make it seem like her house in Los Angeles. She painted her bedroom walls pink and plastered her posters of Justin Bieber, Taylor Lautner, and One Direction all over them. She put strawberry-scented candles all around the house and always made sure everything looked neat and pretty. Lastly, she made a scrapbook of all of the good times she had had with her Hollywood Arts friends- and, unknowingly to everyone but herself, she had drawn hearts around Andre's face.

She put down the vacuum and wiped her brow. She was exhausted. Even though it was the middle of winter down in New York and it was extremely cold, she had put the heat on really high in her house and had neglected to turn it down.

She brushed the rest of the dust bunnies off of her jeans and sat down on the living room couch to rest. Even though she was still the same old naïve Cat, she had matured a lot since high school. She learned that she couldn't keep living in her fantasy world of rainbows and kittens and had to take responsibility for her actions. She had grown an inch or two taller and dyed the tips of her red hair a bright purple for a change.

Her phone rang in her jeans pocket, and she jumped from her tired daze. She looked at the caller ID. _That's strange…_ she thought to herself._ There's no name. It just says "Restricted."_

"Hello?" she answered hesitantly.

"Hey Lil' Red, won't you let me in your house?" a husky voice said on the other side.

Recognizing his voice, she screamed in excitement and dropped the phone onto the pink carpet. "ANDRE!"

She ran over and flung open the door. There he stood, with a suitcase and a briefcase slung over his shoulder. "I thought you were coming on Saturday!" she squealed and ran into his welcoming arms.

"Yeah, well I was too anxious to see you, so I came as soon as I could." He set his bags down by the door and Cat noticed that he hadn't changed too much. Sure, he had grown a bit of a beard and a couple of inches taller (he was now almost a full foot taller than she was), but he still looked and sounded like the Andre she knew and loved.

"Do you want something to drink?" Cat called to him as she headed over to the kitchen. "Coffee? Tea? Water?"

"Actually, I'm in the mood for a cupcake," he chuckled.

"Funny you said that because I just made some yesterday." She grabbed her cupcake container off the kitchen counter and showed him the cupcakes. "They're strawberry-flavored with whipped cream inside! Yum!"

"Do you still make your red velvet ones?"

"Of course I do, silly! I just wanted to try something new for a change." She smiled at him and opened the container. She took a cupcake and took a dainty bite out of it. "Oh my gosh, it's so good! Andre, try it!" she exclaimed and, on purpose, shoved the cupcake into his mouth.

She giggled as he wiped the frosting off of his lips and savored the frosting. "It's good… but I'm going to get you for that." Soon, cupcakes were flying all over the place and both of them were covered in cake and frosting in a matter of minutes.

"Eeeeep!" she squealed as he grabbed her around the waist and tickled her stomach. "Andre, stop! Stop it!" She flailed around helplessly until he stopped.

"I've missed this," he whispered in her ear.

"What have you missed?"

"Us. Seeing you. Hearing your melodious voice every day at school."

She turned around and his hands wrapped around her waist. She saw a twinkle in his eyes that wasn't present there three years ago. "I've missed you too." She stroked his cheek. "By the way…" She grinned at him mischievously. "I kept my promise."

Andre was taken aback. "What promise?"

She stood up on her tiptoes to peck him on the lips. "I waited for you."

* * *

_Don't wanna love you if you don't love me_

_Don't wanna need you when you won't need me too_

_Don't wanna tell you this now_

_But it wouldn't be right if I_

_Didn't tell you this tonight_

* * *

_Whoa… who would've thought a hardcore Cabbie shipper would be writing a Candre story? Man, that took ages to write! I know Cat's a little bit OOC in the beginning, but that's the only way I could get the whole setup to work :P. Again, I'm sorry if this one isn't that good. I just think of Cat and Andre as friends, so it was hard to write them romantically. I didn't exactly follow the song, but I incorporated some of the ideas into it. I will get to the other requests eventually!_

_By the way, anyone else watching the new episode tonight? ASD;KLGSK;GKHF CABBIE KISS! I can't flipping wait any longer to see it! _

_SPOILER ALERT (DON'T READ THIS IF YOU WANNA BE SURPRISED): Cat runs away from Robbie after he kisses her. NOOOO! I just hope the episode doesn't end like that :( But still… THEY KISSED! YES! Watching it with my friend tonight. So excited to see it!_

_Please review, request, review, request, any of those things! I know a lot of people on here require a certain amount of reviews before they update next, but I'm not like that. But I do like them very very very very much! :)_


	4. You belong with me, not her

**Bori, Romance, Jealousy, Songfic to "You Belong to Me" by Taylor Swift**

**Dedicated to IndianaForever231**

* * *

_You're on the phone with your girlfriend, she's upset_

_She's going off about something that you said_

_'Cause she doesn't get your humor like I do._

* * *

"Jade! Babe, I never said that you were ugly! I just really liked your outfit yesterday. You looked stunning in it."

I watched Beck's lips purse into a frown, and he rolled his eyes in frustration. "No, none of your other outfits are ugly either! You didn't just get lucky yesterday! You're beautiful in anything you wear."

With his cell phone still at his ear, he put his forehead in his hand, clearly fed up with his demanding girlfriend. "Jade, please don't hang up," he pleaded. _Click._

"Did she take something the wrong way again?" I asked, immediately feeling bad for him.

"Yep. Apparently she doesn't know how to take a compliment without getting all defensive and up in my face about it." He ran his fingers through his wavy, dark brown hair and sighed. "Trying to please her is exhausting."

I don't know how he puts up with her. Jade is a gank. She's egotistic, stubborn, and incredibly rude to other people- and apparently, despite the fact that Beck is her boyfriend, he's not excluded from her biting insults. She takes offense to every little thing he says to her and never takes no for an answer.

In other words, if you don't do what she says… she'll rip your head off. Figuratively speaking, of course. Or maybe not. I don't know.

She's like your typical cheer captain at a normal high school. She's popular, nasty, and wears lots of makeup to hide her insecurities. The only difference is that she's not all peppy and bursting with school spirit. She's actually quite the opposite with her gothic, black clothing and her constant rants on how much Hollywood Arts could suck less if she were the school principal instead of Helen.

"Well, hope things get better for you guys," I said and patted him comfortingly on the knee. However, as much as I hate to say it, I didn't mean it at all. I actually hope that they end up breaking up soon. She doesn't deserve him.

"Thanks, Tori. I'll see you around." My heart fluttered as he shot me a small smile and left the classroom. We had a project to work on for Sikowitz's class, but our progress got interrupted by Jade's phone call. I wish he didn't have to go so soon. We were having fun together crumpling up our bad ideas and throwing them at each other. And he makes the cutest little puppy dog face when he tries to convince me to change my mind about one of his harebrained ideas.

…Okay, so I may have a little bit of a crush on him. But I'm not a player. I value relationships as much as he does. He has been with Jade for a couple of months now. Dating a person like Jade for that long is what I call dedication.

Hopefully he'll come to his senses eventually and see that the person who really cares about him has been in front of him the whole time.

* * *

_ I'm in the room; it's a typical Tuesday night_

_I'm listening to the kind of music she doesn't like_

_And she'll never know your story like I do._

* * *

**GotBeck: Yo Tori, have you checked out that new Drake song that came out today?**

**ToriVega: I did! It's awesome! I've been listening to it all day! How about you?**

**GotBeck: I couldn't. I was with Jade the whole day and she hates rap.**

**ToriVega: Seriously? She can't put up with your music for one day?**

**GotBeck: Nope. The second I plugged my PearPod in and started playing my music, she threw a pair of scissors at my head and yelled at me to turn it off.**

**ToriVega: Wow…**

**GotBeck: You have no idea.**

**ToriVega: Well, the next time we hang out, you can listen to all the rap you want :)**

**GotBeck: I'd like that :)**

* * *

_ But she wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts,_

_She's Cheer Captain and I'm on the bleachers_

_Dreaming about the day when you wake up and find_

_That what you're looking for has been here the whole time._

* * *

I come into school the following morning wearing a pink t-shirt I had just recently bought and skinny jeans. Beck has seen most of the clothes I wear. I've known him since middle school, after all. We were both new to Los Angeles at the time and were the misfits among the cliquey society of Hollywood Hills Middle School, so we bonded instantly. Maybe if I'm lucky, he'll notice the new shirt I'm wearing.

I know, it's a silly thought, but when you're next in line after Jade… you're barely noticed. I'm just glad Beck still remembers that I exist. And even if him complimenting something I'm wearing gets him to notice me, then so be it.

I see Beck at his locker around the corner and I start walking towards him, but I stop at my tracks when he looks the other direction. Jade enters the school wearing a skimpy black lace shirt and a short black miniskirt, and he ogles her as if she were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She quickly swoops in for a kiss, and they eventually start making out by the lockers.

If only he could see that I was watching them behind the corner, wishing that it was me (in my clothes, not Jade's, of course) he was kissing instead of her.

* * *

_ If you could see that I'm the one that understands you_

_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me, you belong with me._

* * *

Later that day, I see Beck sitting at the lunch table with his head in his hands. He looked extremely troubled, which is very unlike him considering that he's usually the calmest person on the face of the Earth.

"You okay? You're never this early for lunch," I comment as I take a seat next to him.

"It's nothing," he says offhandedly. "I think I just failed a math test, that's all."

"Beck, that's not 'nothing'! You're usually a straight-A student!"

"I know, but I suck at math!" he groans. "Especially calculus. I can't figure out derivatives to save my life."

"Have you told your teacher you're struggling with that unit?" I ask him.

"No, I don't like asking for help. It makes me feel dumb."

"Dude, man up and don't be such a wimp!" I exclaim. "If you need help, you need help. It's not a bad thing; it happens to everyone. No one's perfect."

"Says the girl who gets straight A's at whatever she does," he grumbles.

I almost take offense to that, but I brush it off since I know he doesn't mean it. When he's mad, he doesn't always think about what he's saying. "Actually, I don't. I got a C on my last physics test. I was mad. I wanted to kick myself in the head for making all those stupid mistakes."

I put a hand on his shoulder. "But you know what? I got over it. I studied like crazy for the next quiz and I got an A and boosted my grade back up. You can't let your failures bring you down. You have to use them as fuel to do better the next time."

Beck raises his head to look at me, and a thoughtful look appears on his face. "You're right; I shouldn't let this get me down." He smiles at me, and his eyes seem to stare deep into my soul. "Thanks, Tori."

I beam back at him. "No problem!" Then, I see Jade heading in our direction. "I gotta go get lunch," I say quickly. "I'll be back in a bit!"

As I walk by Jade, she bumps into me. "Whoops!" she says in her "mock-Tori voice," as she calls it. "I'm so sorry!" She so did that on purpose.

I make a mean face at her behind her back. _Someday, he'll see, _I think in the very back of my mind.

_Someday, he'll figure out what he really wants in a girl._

* * *

_Oh, I remember you driving to my house in the middle of the night_

_I'm the one that makes you laugh when you know you're 'bout to cry_

_And I know your favorite songs and you tell me 'bout your dreams_

_Think you know where you belong, think I know it's with me._

* * *

**_*Flashback*_**

_It was a clear, winter night in February. I remember it like it was yesterday._

_I was twelve years old at the time and we were about six months into 7__th__ grade. I was humming along to a Britney Spears song in the kitchen while doing homework when the doorbell rang._

_"Tori, honey, can you get that? I'm doing laundry," my mom called out._

_"Yeah, sure!" I yelled back._

_The doorbell rang again. "I'm coming!" I shouted, wondering why this person was so impatient to get into my house. I turned the knob and there was a soaking wet, thirteen year-old Beck shivering from the cold. _

_"Can I come in?" he asked. "It's freezing out here."_

_"Uh… yeah, of course." I stuttered, closing the door behind him as he came inside. "Why don't you have an umbrella or something along with you? You could get hypothermia from being out there in the cold!"_

_"My brother ripped my umbrella and I didn't have a jacket on me when it started to rain." He shook out his hair and sat down on the couch. I could see tears welling up in his eyes. That's when I started to get worried. Beck never cried. Heck, he barely shows any emotion to anything at all. That's how calm and collected he is._

_Not to say that it's a bad thing. It's just the way he is. _

_"Beck…" I trailed off, shocked, and sat next to him. "What happened?"_

_"My mom… my dad…" He shook and sniffled as he tried to tell me what was going on. "They're getting divorced."_

_It took a tub of ice cream, a couple of episodes of The Simpsons, and me telling funny stories about Trina and her wacky escapades to get him to cheer up after that. I knew what he liked; I knew what made him happy. _

_After all was said and done and Beck was ready to go back home, he gave me a bear hug and kissed my cheek. "Thanks, Tori. I couldn't have asked for a better friend than you."_

_We had only been friends for four months at the time, but that experience brought us closer. From that point on, we were inseparable. Well, until we went to high school and Jade came along, that is._

* * *

_ Can you see that I'm the one that understands you?_

_Been here all along, so why can't you see?_

_You belong with me._

_Standing by and waiting at your back door_

_All this time, how could you not know?_

_Baby, you belong with me_

_You belong with me._

* * *

Eventually, the moment I had been hoping for came- Beck and Jade broke up. He found out that she had been cheating on him with Ryder, a guy that I dated last year before Beck told me he was using me to get a better grade in our music class.

The break-up crushed him. He thought that Jade had a heart underneath her icy exterior. "The way she kissed me…" I could recall him telling me, "It made me feel so special. It was so full of passion and love."

He had then shaken his head in disappointment. "I guess some people really are what they seem to be."

And at that moment, I couldn't agree with him more.

Two months later, he still wasn't over it. I tried everything to cheer him up. I attempted to set him up on blind dates, we cut Jade's face out of all his pictures, and we moved our lunch table to the corner- farthest away from where Jade usually sat.

Nothing worked. He still couldn't get her out of his head. So I decided one day to end his sour mood once and for all- I was going to tell him that I had feelings for him.

I put on a light-weight, blue jacket, slipped on some Converses, and sauntered over to his house, which was just across the street from mine. Intending to surprise him, I knocked on his back door instead of the front.

He opened the door and smiled at me when he saw me. "Hey, you."

I smiled shyly back at him. "Hey. How have you been?"

He shrugged. "I've been better. Why don't you come in?"

He shut the door behind me and hung up my coat as I walked into his kitchen. "Man, we haven't hung out in a while," Beck commented casually.

"Yeah, um... About that-"

"Yes, Tori, I know the reason why," he said bluntly. "Come on, let's go into my room and talk before my brother gets home from soccer practice."

As soon as we get up to his room, I sit on his bed on top of a red-and-black comforter and he sits next to me. The smell of his cologne overwhelms me, and I try to focus on what I want to say to him. "So… Are you still wonky about 'you-know-who?'"

He chuckled. "You can say her name, you know. She's not Voldemort."

"Well, she could be mean enough to be him," I muttered under my breath.

Luckily, he didn't hear me. "I've been thinking about what you said, and you're right. Even though we kissed and everything, we didn't really know each other as well as I thought we did."

I averted my gaze from him so he wouldn't see my eyes popping out of my head in surprise. "Really? Glad I could help, I guess." I laughed anxiously and twirled a piece of my hair around my finger.

"I just want someone who would take the time to know me, you know? Not just be wooed by my good looks or my charming personality."

"Whoa, dude; your ego is showing," I teased him and pushed his shoulder playfully.

"Oh, come on! You know I'm right." His eyes sparkled with mischief.

I blushed madly. "Are not!"

"Am so!"

I pushed his shoulder again, this time making him fall on his back on the bed. "Oh, you are so not getting away with that," he growled with a grin on his face, showing me his pearly white teeth. Then, he started tickling me where he knows I can't stand it- the sides of my neck.

"Beck! Oh my god, stop! Revenge is not the answer!" I shout as he relentlessly runs his fingers up and down my back and my stomach. I then tackle him suddenly and pin his arms down by his sides. "Didn't see that coming, huh?"

"Damn, you know me well," he grumbled. Panting from being out of breath, I helped him up and saw his eyes light up like a light bulb had just gone off in his head. "…You know me."

"Huh?"

"How did this happen?" he berated to himself. "I was in love with the wrong girl the whole time!"

"Uh, Beck?" I said awkwardly, knowing that I wasn't really part of his little conversation with himself. "What are you talking about?"

"You, Tori. I'm talking about you."

My mouth dropped open. "You… you WHAT?"

Before I could comprehend what was happening, he grabbed my waist and kissed me. And that's when I saw the fireworks.

This was right. This was meant to happen.

I sighed happily and tangled my hands in his hair. "Did you feel that?" I asked him as he pulled away.

"What?"

"That spark."

He gave me a boyish grin. "Of course I did. Who says you can't fall for your best friend?"

"But minutes ago, you were still grieving over Jade… How did you fall for me so fast?"

He got off his bed and held his hand out for me to take. He pulled me off the bed, his hands still fastened around my petite waist. "I think I was always in love with you," he said. "I was just so astounded by Jade that I forgot that you have the prettiest brown eyes in the world and that you make the cutest little noises when I tickle you."

He propped my chin up with his index finger. "And you care about me. You've always been there for me no matter what, even when I was dating Jade. You never left my side, but she did."

"And now, if you feel the same way…" He intertwined one of his hands with mine. "I would like to do the same for you."

I felt my cheeks go pink and I giggled. "Funny you say that, because I originally came over here to tell you that I like you. You know- as more than a friend."

He chuckled and then kissed me again. "I would like that a lot."

* * *

_Merry Christmas everyone! Here's your present- a fluffy but badly-written Bori oneshot. Sorry, I had huge writer's block and this took me two weeks to write because I was super busy and had to take day-long hiatuses from this oneshot. Meh, oh well. Not everyone is perfect :P_

_Please pray for those in Connecticuit who were affected by the shooting and have a wonderful, safe and happy holiday. I wish you all the best 3_


	5. Frenemies- Status: It's Complicated

**Jori, Friendship**

**Plot idea credited to Invader Johnny **

_***Note: This oneshot is going to be rated T due to some minor cursing. Other than that, enjoy!_

* * *

It was sophomore year when Jade and Tori's whole "frenemy" relationship started, when Tori first came to Hollywood Arts. They could've been friends, but that was doomed from the start once Jade saw her "rubbing her boyfriend." And after that stage kiss between Tori and Beck, she promised herself that she would never, ever become friends with Tori Vega. Not in a million years.

She was a pestilence, a virus that wouldn't go away. She got almost every main part in the school plays and everyone adored her. And her voice- don't even get Jade started on her perky, annoying little voice when she talked. Her constant happiness and kindness made Jade want to puke. Tori was the bane of her existence.

_She was everything she wished she was._ Perfect. Loved. Not a screw-up.

On the other hand, Jade was always pushed into the background. She had failed time and time again to get to the spotlight, much less stay in it for more than a couple of days or so. It angered her to no end, but she learned to deal with it and to strive harder to get to the top.

She was Jade fucking West, for crying out loud. No one stood in her way without getting punished for doing so.

And as far as she knew, no one liked her. She didn't even understand how Beck could put up with someone like her. She was a monster. Everyone was too afraid of her to even bother trying to talk to her- and she liked it that way.

Being nice was for the weak and the spineless. Being haughty and mean was a sign of confidence. She was independent, didn't care what anyone thought of her.

And that meant more to her than making friends and being nice to people.

But to her surprise, Tori never gave up on her. Every time she had an argument with Beck, Tori somehow found a way to make them work it out. Every time she insulted Tori, the girl always was able to shoot a snarky comment right back in her face or just brush it off like water off a duck's back. She even gave Jade a present for her 17th birthday when no else even bothered to give her anything.

However, the kindness didn't last for long. Because then came the day that Tori Vega snapped.

It was on a hot day in July the summer of their junior year. Jade was casually flipping through the channels on her flat screen TV. "Ugh, why is there nothing on today?" she complained and threw the TV remote across the room in frustration.

She tugged on the neckline of her black tank top and fanned herself, trying to cool herself off. Ever since that day in the RV, her ability to avoid sweating had disappeared. She growled and wiped the moisture off her forehead and chest. Man, it was hot in her room!

She checked the temperature outside on her Pearphone. 103 degrees and the air conditioning wasn't on (because of her stupid parents trying to "save money and the environment"). No wonder she was sweating to death.

She heard the doorbell echo downstairs and rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" No one used their doorbell anymore, but there was only one person that still pushed the little blue button every time.

She took her time descending the stairs and pulled the front door open violently. "What do you want, Vega?"

Even though she glared at her with her usual menacing look, Jade was taken aback by the spectacle she saw in front of her. Tori's hair was in disarray, exploding in a mass of curls bouncing in all directions. Her oval face was puffy and swollen, and her eyes had dark, gray bags under them. She gritted her pearly white teeth together, and Jade could practically see smoke coming out of her ears, she looked so mad.

"Why… did you post this on TheSlap?" Tori seethed.

"Posted what?" Jade chirped in her mock-Tori voice.

"This picture!" Tori shouted and shoved the evidence in Jade's face. The picture showed Tori, in a pink blouse with a black belt cinching her middle, kissing Sinjin on the cheek. "That happened a year ago and it meant nothing! Now everyone thinks I'm cheating on Derek with Sinjin!"

"And what's so bad about that?" Jade smirked and crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Sinjin's a nice guy."

At that moment, Tori's eyes seemed to bulge out of her head. "Derek broke up with me because of it, Jade. That's why it's bad. He thinks I cheated on him with Sinjin and now he 'can't trust me anymore!' It broke his heart!"

Her eyes watered with fresh tears. "And now mine is broken, too."

Jade's satisfaction of ruining Tori's reputation started to waver. "So what? There are plenty of other guys out there."

Tori squinted at Jade and then slowly walked to where she was standing until their faces were almost touching. "You wouldn't know. You've only ever had Beck. Derek was the only guy who treated me with respect- like I was more than a pretty face with 'perfectly-shaped cheekbones.' He understood me like no one else did."

She sniffed and wiped her eyes with her fingertips. "And now he's gone and it's all your fault!" she yelled at Jade. "Are you happy now, seeing me all broken and weak? You win, Jade! Congratulations!"

For the first time ever, Jade was speechless. She used to think revenge was the cure to all of her problems. Revenge was fair and just payback for all the misdoings Tori had done to her.

But now that Jade really thought about it… what had Tori really done to her that was so bad? Other than kiss her boyfriend right in front of her and annoyed her to no end?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. On the other hand, the youngest Vega sister never did anything horrible to her except use the occasional sarcasm- and even that was used rarely.

She hated to admit it, but Tori was her friend- a good friend, in fact. Someone that listened to her when no one else did.

What had she done?

Jade took a deep, shaky breath and struggled to keep her emotions inside of her. "Look Tori, I'm sorry," she started to apologize. "I didn't realize that-"

"That your action would hurt me this much? That with every insult you threw at me and with every attempt to hurt me you committed, I continued to doubt that we would ever become friends?" She threw out her arms to the side in frustration and backed away. "Well guess what, Jade? I'm done with you."

A feeling that Jade was all too familiar with gripped her heart and held onto it tightly- regret. "What… what do you mean by that?" she stuttered.

"I mean I'm done trying to be your friend. I don't get anything good out of it; in fact, it has ruined me instead." She started to walk to her car, which was parked at the end of Jade's driveway. "Go find a new punching bag, okay? There are plenty of other victims out there and I'm tired of being one of them."

And with those words, she jumped in her car and drove away, leaving a stunned Jade in the dust.

* * *

Jade spent the rest of senior year trying to get Tori to talk to her. She would throw constant insults at her because that's what she was best at. She hated compliments, absolutely despised them. She only ever gave compliments to Beck, her handsome boyfriend of three years.

Eventually, she became desperate. She initially loved that she didn't have to deal with Tori anymore. She didn't have to hear her blab about all the awesome movie roles and leads in the plays that she was offered. Finally, she was able to shut Tori out of her mind and was able to relax. She could stop worrying about the perfect girl that always vied for the spotlight.

It was her time to shine now. Not Tori's.

However, the separation between the two girls made no difference. Tori still got all the main parts in the plays. She still had all the boys swooning over her and got offered numerous roles in movies. Jade, on the other hand, continued to come in second place. No matter how hard she tried, she failed to get people to notice her talent. It frustrated her greatly.

Then, after six months of avoiding Tori altogether, she realized something: Maybe avoiding Tori was the problem.

Maybe in some convoluted, twisted way, hating Tori was making her worse. Maybe her negative energy and jealousy were screwing her up somehow and hurting her chances of having a successful future rather than helping her get what she wanted.

Maybe, just maybe, she missed her frenemy. Because when all was said and done, before they had that huge disagreement, they were more like friends than arch enemies.

She hated to admit it, even to herself, but she needed Tori Vega. She needed a friend to lean on, someone who believed in her. And besides Beck, Tori was the only one that did just that.

But now, she was gone for good. And no matter how hard Jade tried to regain her friendship, nothing worked.

She had lost the one true friend she ever had.

* * *

It wasn't until high school graduation, one year later, that Tori acknowledged her existence. It was after all the action had taken place, after all the caps were thrown in the air and all the hugging and shouting with joy had commenced.

Jade wasn't surprised that Tori didn't invite her to her huge graduation party at the fanciest country club downtown Los Angeles had to offer. In fact, she had embraced it with open arms. She could throw her own graduation party if she wanted to- well, if she had family and friends, that is. The whole gang was invited to Tori's party and her family life was a bombshell ready to blow. Her parents were always constantly screaming at each other and her brother was a wanted criminal living on the streets in a shelter far away from where the police could ever find him. No way in hell that would ever work out.

Finally, after days of complaining about how alone she was going to be on the eve of their graduation, Beck brought her along to the party. She protested at first, effectively trying to hide her relief, but he only replied with a "Trust me. You'll thank me for this later."

A few hours later, the couple stepped out a white limousine Beck had rented for the both of them and they arrived at the most lavish party Jade had ever attended. Glittering glass chandeliers in the shape of jellyfish hung from the ceiling over round tables set with fine china and white tablecloths. A huge disco ball dangled over the wooden dance floor in the middle of the room, shedding blue and pink lights upon the dancing guests below. Buffet tables piled high with various appetizers and entrees lined the walls, and she immediately made a beeline for the dessert bar, with Beck following close behind her.

He became concerned as he watched her shove a brownie in her mouth and grab a dish of chocolate pudding. He knew she only ate like this when something was bothering her. "Jade, are you okay?" he asked her.

"What? Are you saying that a girl can't enjoy her chocolate?" she retorted back.

"No, you just look upset. I'm just worried about you, that's all. I want you to be happy and enjoying the party, not moping in the corner all night."

Jade scowled at him before realizing that he meant what he said. Her gaze softened and she gently put the pudding bowl down. "I'm fine, Beck. Just had a bad day, that's all."

However, that was a complete lie. Thoughts were running through her head at the speed of lightning. _Seriously? Does a party have to be THIS fancy? Who the hell is she trying to impress? _"No, I'm not jealous," she muttered under her breath after Beck had walked across the dance floor to say hi to Andre. "I am not jealous of that annoying little witch."

Suddenly, she saw a flash of red out of the corner of her eye and turned around to see someone walking her way. "Hey," Tori, dressed in a strapless red dress and gold high heels, greeted her. She crinkled her eyebrows in confusion. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Jade smirked at her discomfort. "And yet here I am." She crossed her arms in front of her and gave her a challenging look. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Tori returned her cold, hard stare with one of her own. "We need to talk."

She grabbed Jade's wrist and before she could attack her, pulled her out into the hallway. "Hey!" Jade protested, as they headed over to the farthest corner possible. "Who the hell do you think you are, Vega? What is there to talk about?"

Tori narrowed her eyes at her. "You know very well what we need to talk about."

"What is there to talk about? _You _gave up on _me_! I should be the one talking to you, not the other way around!"

"Is there something you need to say to me?"

Tori's smart-ass attitude towards her was making Jade extremely angry. She clenched her fists to prevent herself from slapping her across the face. "Keep on being a bitch to me and I'll have a bunch of stuff to say to your face."

Then, to Tori's surprise, she sighed and sat down on a chair resting against the wall behind her. "But yes, there is something I need to tell you."

Tori looked at her for a second, then pulled over a chair from a nearby desk and sat down across from her. "Go on…"

Jade sighed. "Look, you were right about everything. I shouldn't have done that to you. I had no idea how important Derek was to you and how you felt about him. And it didn't cross my mind that he would actually take that picture seriously."

Not wanting to meet Tori's gaze, she looked down at her lap. "And I hate to admit this, but… you were my friend. You were there when no one else was. And even though you're annoying, perky, too nice for your own good, irritating-"

"Get to the point, Jade," Tori snapped.

"I wish we could be friends again!" she blurted out, throwing her hands up in frustration. "You happy now?"

Tori took a deep breath. "Yes, Jade. Yes I am. Thank you for the apology. But don't you want to know why I started avoiding you in the first place?"

"Uh… sure, why not," she said sarcastically, knowing that this conversation would never come to an end if she didn't let Tori tell her side of the story. She clasped her hands together and rested her chin on her intertwined fingers, waiting for her to continue.

"Okay… I gave you the cold shoulder because I knew that you benefit from insulting people. It satisfies you when people take offense to your comments and try to fight back. But by just simply ignoring you, I was unable to fuel your satisfaction, leaving you frustrated and mad that I wasn't absolutely miserable."

Jade was so surprised by her insight that she didn't know what to think. All she could do was stay quiet and wait for Tori to finish. "I also noticed that you relied on me a lot to help you fix your problems. With me gone, you lost that shoulder to lean on."

"So? What made you think _I_ needed _your _help? Maybe I was fine on my own!" Jade yelled.

"Just let me finish! I've known you long enough to figure out what your strengths and weaknesses are, and you have done the same for me. Up to this point, we have both been cruel to each other but somewhat friendly at the same time- but I wanted to show you how I felt. I felt like my efforts to be nice to you were in vain. I was trying to inflict the same pain upon you like you did to me last year."

Jade sat in silence, pondering over what she had just been told. 'You know what, Tori? You're a lot smarter than I thought you were." She stood up and looked her in the eyes. "That took a lot of guts to do what you did to me, and I respect that."

Tori smiled and stood up as well. "So we're friends again?" She held out her hand to Jade.

Jade sighed. "It may take me a while to forgive you for playing me like that, but we'll see what happens."

Tori's grin started to fade but regained its strength when Jade met her hand in the middle and shook it. "So does this mean we can hang out over the summer?"

Jade rolled her eyes as they walked back into the main ballroom where Tori's party was being held. "Maybe."

"And we can have girl's nights out without clawing at each other's faces?"

"Watch it, Vega."

"And we can give each other makeovers, do each other's nails, and watch romantic comedies like Cat and I do every weekend?"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

* * *

_Well, that was a nice change for me! That was the first (just) frienship fic I've written :). Hope y'all enjoyed it and keep those suggestions going because I may just pick yours in the future!_


	6. Oblivious

**Cabbie, Romance, Songfic to "Play Me That Song" by Brantley Gilbert**

**Dedicated to: RedVelvet2169**

*****Note: This oneshot will also be rated T due to some sexual references and innuendos and one curse word lol.**

* * *

_She's stopping by real late tonight, just to talk.  
She said I got some things that been weighing on my mind,  
And I know I can come.  
And we just sit and we talk a while  
While she spills her heart on this arms of mine.  
And it won't be long, till the guitar starts too play..  
I already know what she's gonna say..Before she says_

* * *

**_*HappyCat has just entered TheSlap chat room*_**

**_HappyCat: Hello? Anyone here?! I need someone to talk to!_**

**_*MrSkinnyJeans has just entered TheSlap chat room*_**

**_MrSkinnyJeans: Hey Cat! Wanna see the new kind of moss I found in my backyard?_**

**_HappyCat: NOT NOW, SINJIN!_**

**_MrSkinnyJeans: *sigh* Okay… How about I give you a virtual neck massage?_**

**_HappyCat: Ooooh! Do those kinds of things exist?_**

**_MrSkinnyJeans: Lol, we'll see ;) *gives Cat neck massage*_**

**_HappyCat: Ahhh, that feels good! Thanks, Sinj!_**

**_MrSkinnyJeans: Oh my gosh, it worked! I gotta go tell my mother!_**

**_HappyCat: But I thought your mother was somewhere in Mexico?_**

**_MrSkinnyJeans: No, they found her a couple of weeks ago! She'll be so proud of me!_**

**_*MrSkinnyJeans has left TheSlap chat room*_**

**_HappyCat: …Okay? Anyone else I can talk to?!_**

**_*RockRobster has just entered TheSlap chat room*_**

**_RockRobster: You okay, Cat? You sound kind of worried._**

**_HappyCat: Who, me? Why would I be worried after seeing my boyfriend kissing another girl? That's crazy! *laughs nervously* He loves me!_**

**_RockRobster: Ohhh, I see now… Someone's in denial._**

**_HappyCat: I AM NOT IN DENIAL! I'm just…I…_**

**_RockRobster: Want to come over tonight and talk about it?_**

**_HappyCat: But it's 11:00 at night! I don't want to keep you up :(_**

**_RockRobster: Pish posh, who needs sleep? Not when I have you to talk to ;)_**

**_HappyCat: Aww, Robbie… *blushes* But still…_**

**_RockRobster: I have red velvet-_**

**_HappyCat: STOP RIGHT THERE! I'm coming! Hehe, just give me a few minutes!_**

**_RockRobster: …Well okay then :D_**

_*20 minutes later*_

**Narrator's POV**

Robbie was just opening up a case of red velvet whoopie pies he had found at the grocery store yesterday when the doorbell rang. He was hoping Cat would like them. He knew Cat favored cupcakes over any other red velvet-baked treat, but given that it was almost midnight; he thought that she wouldn't mind having something new for a change.

He used to not like red velvet (he thought it was poisonous because of its red, blood-like color), but as of a couple of years ago, Cat had forced him to eat some of her cupcakes and now he was hooked- once he found out it was just chocolate cake mixed with food dye, of course.

Then again, he had always been hooked with anything that had to do with Cat Valentine. There was just something about her that was so pure, so appealing that whenever he was around her, he was ready to bow down to her every command.

She was in his head all the time, like a song that got stuck in his head and never got out. And that's why when he saw those cream-filled beauties on display in the baked goods section of the grocery store, he immediately thought of Cat and bought them without a doubt in his mind. That way, it would feel like she was there with him every time he ate one.

Kind of creepy, in a way, but doesn't everyone have their own signature obsession? He liked to think of it that way as a reminder that he wasn't the weirdest kid in school.

He ran over to the door and, in his slap-happy excitement, flung it open. "Hi Robbie!" Cat said with a smile (obviously fake) plastered on her face, which was unusually free of any makeup.

"Hey Cat!" He noticed her shivering in her red t-shirt with a pink heart in the middle, purple jean shorts, and navy blue leggings. It was like she had covered herself in a rainbow. "Come in and I'll make you some apple cider. You seem really cold."

She laughed and trotted inside, hanging her purse on the coat rack and plopping down on the Shapiro's brown loveseat. "You're a mind reader! It's freezing outside! It shouldn't be this cold in May."

"You do know that even though it's spring, it's still chilly at night, right?"

Her smile faded and she chewed on her bottom lip. "Oh… guess I forgot. Hehe, silly me!" she tittered.

He gestured towards the loveseat and she sat down obediently. He brought her a piping hot cup of apple cider and a red velvet whoopie pie and sat on the white sofa opposite the loveseat. He watched her eyes widen as she took a bite and let out a small squeal. "Oh my gosh, these are amazing!"

"I know! It's amazing what the supermarket can do," he laughed nervously. "So… what's going on?"

The smile dropped off her face in an instant and she became teary-eyed. "I…he…cheated…"

Robbie gave her a sympathetic look. "Take your time, sweetie."

After she recollected herself, she told him everything. About how she saw Lucas kissing the most popular girl in school, Lindsey Anderson, after school had ended. How she had slapped him in the face and he cussed at her, saying that she was too innocent and dumb for him and that he could never get what he wanted with her.

Basically he just wanted her for sex. At least that's how Robbie translated it.

His heart broke as he watched her little teardrops quickly turn into raging rivers. "Cat.." he said. "I'm so sorry. I swear if he ever bothers you again, I will beat the cheese out of him."

"No, Robbie," she giggled through her tears. "You're nerdy. He would beat you to a pulp."

Ouch. That hurt. But then she smiled at him. "But thanks. It's the thought that counts."

He blushed. "No problem."

They sat in silence for a while before Cat spoke up again. "Can you play me that song again?"

"What song?"

"The one you played for me after Evan dumped me. What's it called again?"

"I Think You're Swell?"

"Yeah, that one!" She snapped her fingers in triumph. "Can you? Pretty pretty please?" she asked, giving him the puppy-dog look that he could never say no to.

Robbie grinned and got off the couch. "Of course I can, Cat."

And with that, he ran upstairs, grabbed his guitar, and went to sing to the girl who was oblivious to how much he loved her.

* * *

_Play me that song, play me that song you wrote  
About the girl who might not ever know,  
How much you care, or how much you love her.  
Play me that song, play me that song again  
'oh I like to think there's someone there  
Who might love me just like that,  
So play me that song again._

* * *

As he sang, she fell in love with the song; with the corny but funny jokes, the smooth melody, the sweet moments, and everything in between. It was possibly the best song he had ever written, and most likely the one he had worked on the longest on as well. It sounded so good that she felt like he was singing it directly to her.

"Wow," she sighed as the last note reverberated throughout the room. She stared dreamily off into space and rested her chin in the palm of her hand. "That might just be my new favorite song."

Robbie ogled at her in surprise. "Really?"

She giggled. "Yeah, _really,_" she teased him. He placed his guitar gently in its case and zipped it shut. "Did you write that song for someone?"

Still bending down, he froze. "I…I don't know. It just came out of nowhere, I guess."

"Oh, okay. I just asked because it sounded like you put a lot of emotion into it." She smiled mischievously and reached over to tickle his stomach. "Ooooh, does Robbie Shapiro have a crush?!"

"No, I don't," he lied through his teeth, wishing that he could tell her the truth. He figured that it would be too much for her to bear, though. She just found out Lucas was cheating on her and then she finds out that her best friend wants to be more than friends? Uh-uh. No way was he risking that nonsense.

She sighed. "It's okay. I don't have one either. Well, not anymore, at least. It's just…"

She exhaled forcefully again and leaned back in the chair. "I just want someone to love me like you described it. I want to be his everything; I want to be appreciated, you know? Not just for how I look, but for who I am inside, too."

She looked at Robbie to see his reaction. "Does that sound too far-fetched to you?"

"What?" He stared at her, dumbfounded- because that was exactly what he was thinking. "Uh, no, of course it doesn't. You deserve someone that likes you for all your qualities, Cat. Everyone does."

"Aww, you really think so?"

"Absolutely."

"Well, that's very sweet of you to say, Robbie. Thanks so much for making me feel better." As Robbie was resisting the urge to tell her how he felt, something made a buzzing noise, causing both of them to jump in surprise. "Oh! It's my mom. She's wondering why I'm not home yet. I'll see you later!"

She hurriedly grabbed her things and gave him a small peck on the cheek as she ran out the door.

Robbie sat there for a moment in a daze, then dragged his tired self up to his bed. He fell asleep as soon as he hit the pillow, wondering if their midnight encounter was all just a dream.

* * *

_Wasted time on small town guys, nothing but drama.  
There's a trail of tears that leads right to my side, cuz i know how to hold her,  
She knows I don't give a damn about the who or where or what they said.  
I just take my pride and walk away..and hear her say _

_play me that song, play me that song you wrote  
About the girl who might not ever know  
How much you care, or how much you love her.  
play me that song, play me that song again  
Cause I like to think there's someone there  
Who might love me just like that,  
So play me that song again._

* * *

**Robbie's POV**

"Cat…" I look at the redhead sitting next to me with her arms wrapped around my stomach in a death grip. Her face is buried in my sky blue t-shirt, and I can feel her tears soaking through my shirt as we huddle on the dusty floor of the janitor's closet. "I know you're still hurting, but we have to go back to class soon. Mrs. Magee might give us a detention if we're out of her class too long."

"But they were at the movie theater the same time I was!" Cat sobs. "He kissed her and then gave me this hateful look, like he was tearing my heart into pieces. How can I forget about him if he's everywhere I go?"

I put a comforting arm around her shoulders and she seems to crumple into me even more. I can't help but notice how right this feels, Cat snuggling into my side and everything. It feels like I have stepped out of reality and into a world where Cat suddenly needs me by her side 24/7.

And to my surprise, I like it. I wouldn't have it any other way.

I just hope that she's not using me or anything. I may be pushed back to square one if she is.

"C'mon, that guy is a wazzbag. Just ignore him. Be happy that he's with someone else and will someday make that girl's life miserable instead of you."

"But how can I be happy if he and that little witch look like they're so in love? He told me he loved me, goddamnit!"

Whoa… did she just curse? Man, she's growing up faster than I thought she was. "Just because someone says he loves you doesn't always imply he actually means it."

She lifts her head and whimpers. "But that's how it works out in all the movies. You don't say 'I love you' unless you believe it with all your heart!"

She wipes the mascara trails off her face as I help her up and sniffles. "I wish life was like a movie, with happy movies and mythical creatures and true love…"

"Yeah, the world would be a happier place if that were the case." I gently take her hand and lead her towards the door. "You feel well enough to get back to class now?"

"Almost… But before we go, can you play me our song?"

Wait a second… _our s_ong? Did she figure out that I wrote it for her?

Gosh, now I know how Andre feels when he gets all wonky. "I don't have my guitar, though."

"You don't need your guitar! Just sing it to me!" She then comes close to my face, so close that I almost can't control my emotions. "Pleaseeeeeee?"

I chuckle. "Okay, just give me a second to warm up."

I take a deep breath, walk past her until I'm facing her backside, and then wrap my arms around her waist and sing softly in her ear. "_I think you're sweeeeeeeeellllll" _**(A/N: That word is definitely "swell", if all the letters confused you xD) **Out of the corner of my eye, I see her face color and she nods for me to go on.

"_I think you're swell._"

* * *

_Oh, baby, play it again  
Girl you know I gotta tell you the truth  
I can't hide it no more can't believe you didn't see through the hidin', disguises everytime I'm singin'  
Baby, here it is  
Baby that song, baby that song I wrote  
About the girl who might not ever know,  
How much I care, or how much I love her.  
Baby, that song, I gotta tell you the truth  
I've been hiding this so long from you.  
Baby, that song you love so much..  
It's all about you_

* * *

**Narrator's POV**

"Thanks for coming to my show, everyone!" Robbie's voice bounced through the crowd on the stage that was originally used for the Full Moon Jam two months ago. "Don't worry, I'm sure many of you want to see the huge football game tonight, but we are almost finished!"

"Thank god! I thought the torture would never end!"

He rolled his eyes and placed Rex on a wooden chair near the back of the stage, the same chair he had used to demonstrate he had used in his satiric "Road Rage" bit. "Now before we conclude the show, I have a song to share with all of you today."

The crowd became quiet and he saw Tori and Cat waving at him at the right side in the front row. He steered his focus and eye contact directly on her and hoped she would notice his stare. "I wrote this song for a very special person, and she is attending this show tonight, so I thought I'd play it for you all today in order to tell her how I feel."

Cat's head snapped up and her mouth dropped wide open. Everyone burst into "Awww!" and "That's so cute!"

"This girl is extraordinary. I've had a crush on her for two years and despite countless attempts to win her heart, including writing this song for her, she has never noticed. She has an amazing singing voice, a heart of gold, and she has this fascinating color to her hair that can be seen from a mile away. And every time I tried to tell her how I felt about her, I chickened out because I was scared she wouldn't like me that way."

He adjusted the microphone stand in front of him and slung the guitar strap behind his neck. "But time has passed by and I've been thinking: What have I got to lose? She's my best friend and no matter what happens, I'll always be by her side and I'm sure she'll do the same for me.

He paused for a moment for effect. "So here goes nothing. I love you, Caterina Valentine."

The whole crowd gasped and those around her looked in her direction with huge smiles on their faces. She covered her mouth and made no sound as she stared back up at him. Tori whispered something in her ear and she nodded in response. Robbie witnessed the whole interaction and wished that he knew what information had been exchanged between the two girls.

But right now he couldn't waste time worrying about that. He had some important business to take of first.

* * *

After he had finished the song and thanked everyone for coming to his comedy show, the sea of people dispersed.

He stepped off the stage and was almost knocked over by a flurry of brown, curly hair. "Oh my gosh, you were awesome, Robbie!" Tori exclaimed as she hugged him tightly.

"Thanks, Torinator!"

"Don't call me that."

"Oh, sorry," he apologized.

"I didn't know you did stand-up comedy!" she exclaimed. "Usually, the jokes you tell are kind of… lame."

"Thanks for the compliment," he said sarcastically, and Tori shrugged her shoulder apologetically. "I figured I'd make Rex good for something, you know."

"That's great." Tori looked behind her quickly, and then turned back to Robbie. "And I have a surprise for you."

She stepped to the side and Cat appeared, clutching the beaded pearl strap that hung from the top of her small, red purse tightly. "I'll leave you two to talk then." She winked and then she was gone.

He looked at her unreadable expression and suddenly became speechless by her beauty. "So…"

"So 'I Think You're Swell' _was _about me," she said, as if she was still trying to comprehend the enormity of it all.

"Yep. It was." He fidgeted in his place nervously.

"And you didn't tell me because you thought I would reject you?" she asked, astounded.

Robbie tilted his head down in shame. "Guilty as charged."

"Well, you know what I think of that?"

He braced himself to be reprimanded. Instead, she beamed at him and took his hands in hers. "I think that's adorable."

His eyes popped open and he felt like he was going to faint. "So… you're not rejecting me?"

She giggled, subconsciously pursing her cherry red lips. "What do you think?"

She stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the lips. "I love you, too."

A look of shock froze on his face and stayed there for a good ten seconds. "Robbie? Robbieeeee. Earth to Robbie!" she shouted, waving a hand in front of his eyes.

"Wha…what just happened?" She laughed as he shook his head, trying to snap out of his stupor.

"This." And she did the same thing she did moments ago, except the kiss lasted much longer and contained more passion. She rested her arms on his shoulders and he gently lifted her so she was standing on the tops of his feet.

"You are so beautiful," he gasped as she pulled away. "Don't let anyone tell you you're not because those people are so wrong."

"Relax, Robbie," she told him and hugged him, not wanting to let go anytime soon. "I know better now." She angled her head to the side so she could murmur in his ear.

"I knew it was you all along."

* * *

_*sigh* Gosh, I just love writing Cabbie so much! They're so cute together! Thanks RedVelvet for suggesting this one and I hoped you enjoyed it! Especially with the very vague ending line that could have multiple meanings :)_

_Oh, and if any of you are wondering what Robbie's "Road Rage" bit was… basically, I imagined it just him sitting on the chair pretending to drive a car and imitate the different types of things people do when they have "road rage" lol. Just to show Robbie's funny, witty side a little bit ;)_

_Please review and stay tuned for the next oneshot! :D_


	7. I'm nothing without you

**Jandre, Romance, Songfic to "Lost In You" by Three Days Grace**

**Dedicated to: TricksterColor**

*****Note: T rating for some minor cursing**

* * *

_I always knew you'd come and get me_

_And you always knew it wouldn't be easy_

_To get back to the start_

_To see where it all began_

_Or end up at the bottom to watch how it all ends._

* * *

Everything started in 4th grade. It was my first day of elementary school in Los Angeles. I was the only student who came in the middle of the year. Sounds strange, I know, but when you're the child of a dad whose job moves around a lot, you get used to it.

It was strange, being in a school where many celebrities had graduated from. I had attended a boarding school in Canada, suffered the sweltering heat near the equator in Mexico, but never had I come across a land of opportunity as great as this. Sure, I was only nine years old at the time, but by then I had already figured out my destiny: to become a princess.

Nah, I'm just messing with you. If you really knew me and you heard me say something like that, you would collapse on the floor laughing your ass off. Trust me- I'm nothing like a princess. Princesses are weak, spineless creatures dressed in frilly, pink puffballs and sit around wailing, "Oh, Prince Charming! Come sweep me off my feet! I'm ever so desperate!"

Anyway, back to the flashback. From the day I picked up my very first book, I knew I wanted to become a writer. A screenwriter, to be exact. I wanted to determine what the actors did on stage. At night, I watched the visions come alive in my head- lovers dancing, soldiers fighting to the death, zombies sucking out people's brains- and I wrote them all down in a special journal each morning.

That morning, I brought the journal with me to school. Usually, I'm a very bold person when meeting new people, but this time was different. I kept to myself and feared what people would think of me. All these kids seemed stuck-up and snooty, clothed in the most expensive-looking clothes I had ever seen. Their eyes were judgmental, their demeanor haughty and rude. My parents didn't have much money and scraped by when buying me clothes to wear, let alone paying for me to go to private school.

So at recess, I sprinted to the big tree standing in the corner of the playground, pushing past piles of children laughing and throwing balls at each other. Ignoring the whispers of the other children, I sat down against the tree trunk, dug out my journal from my backpack, and started to write furiously. I got so caught up in my writing that I didn't notice when a big, ugly sixth grader snatched it right out of my hands.

"Awww, how cute is this?" he exclaimed, his grubby hands leaving slimy fingerprints all over the shiny leather cover. "Looks like we got ourselves a little nerd here!"

Some of the other children around him heard what he had said and started to laugh. I stood up and tried to grab it out of his hand, but he held it just out of my reach. "Give it back!" I shouted. "Go pick on someone your own size, meathead!"

"But this is so much fun!" he cooed, clearly mocking me. "Now let's see what the nerd was writing about!"

He was just about to open the book when I couldn't take it anymore. I let out a scream of anger and kicked his shin hard. He howled and dropped the book in front of my feet, and I picked it up quickly and ran away before he could recover.

This time, I sat down under a tree on the other side of the playground, far away from where the bully had ambushed me. Still shaken by the sudden invasion of privacy, I cradled the book and hugged it gently against my chest. Tears started rolling down my face, but I wiped them away with my fists. I couldn't cry there; it was a sign of weakness. And Jade West wasn't weak and never will be.

"Hey." I looked up to see a dark-skinned boy about my age standing in front of me. "You okay? You look upset."

"Oh yeah? What makes you think that?" I retorted. "For all you know, I could be perfectly fine and content sitting alone underneath this tree."

"Well first of all, you're clutching your book like you're gonna die if you let go of it," he pointed out, sitting down next to me. "Second of all, you're crying. And I also saw what happened over there. That was pretty brave, what you did. No one has able to stand up to Xavier until now."

I turned away from him. "No, I'm not crying," I said stubbornly.

He sighed and dropped the subject. "I'm Andre," he said, standing up and holding his hand out to me. His dreads shook as I took his hand and he helped me up.

"I'm Jade." We tentatively shook hands. I guess he was afraid I was going to hurt him or something.

"So Jade…" He smiled at me. "What's in your book?"

My heart froze and I instantly reverted to panic mode. I didn't know what to say. "Why should I let YOU read it? We barely know each other! Are you going to call me a nerd, too?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, calm down! I'm not going to make fun of you. I'm just really curious. You seem different from the other kids."

I looked at him warily and he chuckled. "Don't worry, I mean a good kind of different. So whadaya say?"

I debated what to do in my head, than meekly handed him the book. "Okay."

We sat down and he opened up to a random page and started reading. And that is when our friendship blossomed.

* * *

_You tried to lie and say I was everything_

_I remember when I said I'm nothing without you._

* * *

After that, we were inseparable. He was fascinated by the stories I could write and I was amazed by the tunes he could play on his guitar. He soon expanded his horizons to various other instruments such as the piano and the drums while I started writing in other genres. Usually, I wrote horror stories and science fiction because that's what I was most interested in. But soon enough, I found myself writing love stories and happy endings, expressing my deepest hopes and dreams through words.

As we transferred to middle school, I found out that my family and I were staying in Los Angeles for good. To celebrate, Andre and I went to the new bowling alley that had opened two weeks ago, along with our new friends Beck, Cat, and Robbie. They had come from the other elementary school on the other side of town. Andre befriended Beck, I somehow became friends with Cat, and Robbie- well he was just part of the package deal.

It was a fun night. We went to the midnight bowling session so we could glow in the dark. I hated wearing light colors (and I still do, for that matter), but I willingly wore a white t-shirt and jeans just for that one night. We played a bunch of two-on-two games and decided to have a contest to see who the best bowler was in our little group. Robbie pulled a hamstring while playing and Cat kept getting a bunch of gutter balls, so it was really me and the boys competing at the end.

Robbie and Cat cheered us on as I bowled against Andre, beating him by 25 points. He looked a little disappointed but pleasantly surprised by the loss. He still gave me a high five and hugged me at the end, which made me blush a little bit when no one else noticed. Then, in the "championship game," as we liked to call it, Beck beat me by a whopping 90 points. No surprise there- he told us that he used to play against his dad all the time- that is, while his parents were still married. They stopped when his parents got divorced a year ago and his mom gained full custody of him.

It seemed like the time flew by so fast that night. By the time we finished, it was two o'clock in the morning. Beck, Cat, and Robbie were able to walk home because they lived so close to the bowling alley, but Andre and I had to wait for our parents to come pick us up.

We waved goodbye to our friends as they left and huddled close together on a metal bench outside. It was a little on the chilly side and I had forgotten to bring a jacket. My fingernails dug into my pale arms, now covered in goose bumps, as I tried to prevent my body heat from escape. I stopped shivering at the feeling of something covering my shoulders.

I pulled his jacket up and over my arms, almost neglecting to realize why he had given it to me in the first place. Now he was the one stuck in the short-sleeved shirt and forced to brace the cold. "Thanks," I said softly. "You didn't have to do that."

He looked at me with his warm brown eyes and shrugged with a sheepish smile. "Anything for a friend. You seemed cold; I thought that you needed my coat more than I did."

I didn't say anything back. I focused on becoming warm again as I felt the heat rise up to my cheeks. Guess it would be easier to do than I thought.

He then playfully punched my shoulder. "And how could we be friends all of this time and you never told me you were good at bowling?"

It was then my turn to shrug. "I dunno. Tonight was my first time bowling."

He stared at me in shock. "It was your first time and you ended up beating me?" He whistled. "Damn girl, that's some natural talent you've got there along with your mad writing skills."

I snickered. "Oh yeah, like bowling and writing would get me far in life."

"Maybe if you wrote a story about bowling?"

"Seriously dude? You can't come up with something better than that?"

"Well the jokes have to get old sometime, I guess," he sighed in mock disappointment. "But I wasn't kidding about the talent part."

"Really?" Wow, he rarely complimented me. Not because he was a mean guy or anything like that, but because we joked around too much to get around to doing so. "You mean it?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good, at least someone appreciates me. My dad thinks my dream is stupid and my mom's barely around anymore."

"If it makes you feel better…" He hesitantly put a hand on my leg just above my knee, and I jumped at the warm touch of his dark-skinned hand. "You're my best friend. You mean the world to me, Jade."

I gulped and looked at his hand with watery eyes. My response was a soft whisper as I struggled to pull myself together. "Thanks, Andre. And I'm nothing without you."

I finally forced myself to lift my head up and look at him, and butterflies swarmed in my stomach as I suddenly realized how close our faces were to each other. Before we knew what was happening, he snaked an arm around my waist, I locked my hands behind his neck, and we were kissing like nothing could stop us.

* * *

_Somehow I found a way to get lost inside you_

_Let me inside, let me get close to you_

_Change your mind, I'll get lost_

_If you want me to_

_Somehow I found a way to get lost in you_

* * *

We never spoke of the kiss again after the incident happened. We thought it was gross and blamed it on cooties. Our little joke was that the "cootie monster made us kiss" or that a fairy put us under a spell that caused the kiss to happen. We were only in sixth grade then, after all; we didn't know what love or hormones were. Kissing was for adults and adults only. Or at least that's what we had thought.

Three years passed by us and we became a close-knit group of friends. We did everything together. We planned a funeral for yet another one of Cat's dead fish (she couldn't take care of a pet to save her life), we all went to the Poconos for a week once during Christmas break, and they planned a surprise birthday party for me the year I turned fourteen. Given all the shit I had to endure from my parents before I met them, it was the best day of my life.

Every year, Hollywood Heights Middle School held a dance for the eighth graders the day before they graduated middle school. And by the end of eighth grade, the world of dating had been discovered. Tweens were coupling up faster than Brad and Angelina could adopt kids, and gossip about who was going with who to the dance was circulating around the school at lightning speed. Cat had gotten asked by a guy who had been ogling her in her biology class all those months and Robbie wasn't going at all because Rex-his demented little puppet- had insisted on seeing a movie that night and couldn't get anyone else to see it with him.

I, on the other hand, was planning on going whether I got asked by someone or not. I would win either way. Either girls would praise me on being fearless by going alone or I would get to show off my date. Hey, when you're the most popular girl in school, you get certain perks- and I just happened to have the guts and the talent to earn that privilege.

I was walking in the school hallway one morning when I heard two girls chatting by my locker. Not bothering to pay attention at first, I walked past them and opened my locker door.

"So who do you think Jade West is going to go with to the dance?" the stick-thin blonde girl gushed.

I stopped putting my books into my locker and put my ear against the open locker door to eavesdrop on them. "I don't know, Lacey, either one of those guys has a fair shot with her."

"I call the wavy-haired guy! He's so gorgeous! Have you seen his abs, Kelly? He has a six-pack!"

I rolled my eyes. Of course Beck had girls swooning all over him- not that I cared or anything.

"But what about the musician guy? You know, the guy with the dreads who can play all those instruments? They seem pretty close," Kelly, a brunette with a love for fashion, commented.

My mouth dropped open. They were talking about Andre. He was a great friend and everything, but having him as a date? Given the kiss we shared three years ago, things might get awkward.

"Guess we'll find out when she arrives at the dance," Lacey said. And with that, they walked away, not knowing that I had been listening to their conversation the whole time.

I glanced at myself in the little mirror hanging in the back of my locker and chewed at my fingernails, a nervous habit I hadn't been able to break since kindergarten. They had a point. Both of the guys would have made great dates to the dance.

On one hand, Beck was a good friend. We both shared a love for acting and writing. He wanted to be a famous actor someday. Our little joke was that we'd get cast in a movie together someday and I'd write his script. We talked a lot and… I hate to say it, but he was very charming. And he had the most adorable smile…

And if you had told him that I said that about him, I would have killed you. In your sleep. In a verrrry unpleasant manner.

On the other hand, I knew Andre inside and out. He was a talented musician who would definitely go far in the music business. We never got bored of each other and could always cheer each other up when we were down. He was my other half. If I lost him over a stupid little dance, I'd be devastated.

Why do the stupidest little decisions have to be the hardest ones to make?

* * *

_You always thought that I left myself open_

_But you didn't know I was already broken._

_I told myself that it wouldn't be so bad_

_Pulling away you took everything I had._

* * *

**Narrator's POV**

At the end of the school day, Andre skipped out of his algebra class with a delicate red rose in his hand. Today was his day; he was going to ask Jade to the dance. Once he saw the song he had written for her, there was no doubt in his mind that she would say yes to him. Nothing could get him down.

He stopped and peered around the corner where Jade's locker stood. He saw Jade packing up her backpack and smiled in relief. Good. No one was around to stop him or make him feel self- conscious. Time to make his move.

However, as soon as he started to round the corner, Beck appeared out of nowhere. Startled, Andre scrambled back behind the corner and watched them talk from afar.

He saw them talking and laughing, and he quickly became jealous. But then, his jealousy quickly turned into despair as he saw him take her hands and step closer to her. Even though Beck was speaking softly, Andre could barely make out the words "date" and "dance."

Once he saw her smile and Beck hug her, he crushed the rose with his foot and sank to the ground. He stayed there, lamenting over his missed chance, until he heard someone speaking to him.

"Andre? Why are you on the ground?" Jade asked him, a confused expression appearing upon her heavily made-up face. Her brown hair dangled in waves, resting on the tips of her shoulders, and blond highlights made her hair look even more beautiful in his eyes.

He got up and angrily shoved the song into her hands. "Take this. Hope you and Beck have a good time at the dance. Together." He emphasized the word "together" and stormed off.

Wondering how he had even heard their conversation in the first place, she opened the folded piece of paper and read the title of the song. "Tell Me That You Love Me." She covered her gaping mouth with her hand in shock. Not knowing how to react, she shoved the song into her pocket and ran all the way back to her house.

As soon as she got home, she slammed the door behind her and took off to her room before her dad could even scold her for slamming the door. She flopped herself on her bed, hyperventilating as if she was about to cry.

"What do I do now?" she moaned. And she buried her face into her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

* * *

_The pain of it all, the rise the fall,_

_I see it all in you._

_Now every day I find myself sayin'_

_I want to get lost in you._

_I'm nothing without you._

* * *

**Jade's POV**

Today is our four-year anniversary and I'm so pissed off that I'm about to explode. I'm sitting alone at BF Wangs and he isn't even here yet! Which is strange because he's always on time. Oh well. Maybe he got stuck in traffic or something.

A half hour passes and I'm still waiting for him. The waiter sees my half-empty table and trots over to ask me once more when he'll be here. "I don't know, okay?!" I scream at him. "Now SCRAM!"

He quivers and runs like he's the Roadrunner speeding away from the Wily Coyote. He looks ridiculous. I love it.

But what I don't love is the fact that my boyfriend isn't freaking here yet! Without hesitating, I dial a phone number and wait for him to pick up.

"Hello?" Andre answers the phone.

"Where. Is. He?" I seethe.

"Geez girl, calm down. I'm sure Beck will be there in a minute."

Wait, why so confused? Ohhhhh, you thought _Andre_ was the boyfriend! I see now. Well guess what? You're all wrong and I'm right.

I just love being right. Happens all the time.

Yes, I took Beck to the dance in the end, even though I felt incredibly bad about it the whole time. That is, until Andre took the stage and started singing a slow song, which just so happened to be the song he gave me.

AND HE WAS SINGING IT WITH ANOTHER TRAMP!

I learned later on that Tori Vega was her name. She went to Sherwood High and was asked to come perform with Andre at the dance. I would've been okay with the whole thing, if he hadn't sang OUR song with another girl!

That was the night where everything changed. Andre and I stopped talking. Beck became my boyfriend. And Victoria Vega became my worst enemy.

Eventually, she moved to my school and she and Andre became best buds, which made me hate her more than I did before. And when she kissed Beck in front of everyone… I swear, if Sikowitz wouldn't have been standing there and we weren't in school, I would've ripped her perfect little head off right then and there. She irks me to no end.

Over time, Andre and I started to talk to each other again- mostly because we were in the same friend group and didn't want our friends constantly questioning "What's going on between you two? Can I help?" But it's just not the same, you know? Ever since she came, everything has changed. And I hate change.

"He better be. He's so dead if he's not," I growled and hung up the phone in response. I then dialed Beck's number. He picked up as soon as the phone rang. "Beck, it's Jade. Where the hell are you-"

"Babe, why are you leaving so soon?" a syrupy voice said in the background. "We just got started."

I heard some smacking sounds and an exasperated sigh. "Lacey, this isn't right. How am I supposed to meet my girlfriend for our anniversary if you corner me at my house?"

I let out a loud gasp and hope he didn't hear me through the phone. Oh my god. Those were kissing noises that I was hearing. I just heard him make out with another girl.

This cannot be happening.

"But we've been going out for over a year now, Beck. When are you going to dump her and get it over with?"

Wait… what?

He was… CHEATING on me? All this time and I never knew? I grip the phone, threatening to crush it into a million pieces.

I wait for him to tell her that he was just hooking up with her, that it was just a fling. "Lacey, you don't understand… I still love her. We've been going out for a while now."

"But you love me more…" I could just imagine her tickling him underneath his chin seductively like I used to do. "Right?"

"…Of course I do, babe."

I stopped breathing for a second. No. No no no no NO. What the hell is going on?

"But wouldn't it be cruel to dump her on our anniversary? I don't want to hurt her like that."

"Well guess what, you asshole? YOU JUST DID!" I scream into the phone. I hear a crash and Lacey's scream. "If you really cared about me like you said you did, you wouldn't have cheated me on with that bitch! Forget about dinner tonight; instead, drive over to my house, pack up your stuff, and GET THE HELL OUT OF MY LIFE!"

"Jade, please, just hear me out-"

"No, you had your chance. Now hang up the damn phone before I hang it up for you. And don't you EVER talk to me again!"

I smashed my phone against the table. I felt my heart break into a million pieces. I trusted him with everything. He was my confident, my shoulder to cry on. I got more and more lost in him with every kiss and every touch. I thought he loved me.

And then he threw away everything we ever had for some anorexic, slutty cheerleader. That two-faced, sneaky skunkbag. I'll never forgive him, and I'll never forgive myself for trusting him in the first place, either.

The waiter comes up to ask me if I'm okay, but I push past him and run out of the restaurant. I sprint out to my car, not even bothering to hold my tears back, when someone catches me and pulls me to the side. "Let go of me!" I scream.

"Sssssh, Jade, calm down." The voice sits me down and holds me in his arms as I cry. "I'm so, so sorry, Jade," he whispers in my ear. "I never should have left you."

The fact that I figured out the voice's owner so quickly just made me cry even harder because I knew deep inside that I didn't deserve his comfort.

It was Andre.

* * *

_Somehow I found a way to get lost inside you_

_Let me inside, let me get close to you_

_Change your mind, I'll get lost_

_If you want me to_

_Somehow I found a way to get lost in you_

* * *

It took me a while to fully get over Beck's betrayal. Two years, to be exact. By that time, I was halfway through college. After the breakup, I reconnected with the rest of my friends. Tori and I started to actually get along, and she, Cat and I were almost as close as sisters by the time high school graduation rolled around. I avoided Beck completely, I continued to merely tolerate Robbie (because he was now dating Cat- no surprise there), and Tori even let me hang out with Andre once in a while.

Speaking of Andre, we started a duo group right after graduation. We perform at local coffee houses, Nozu, Karaoke Dokie, and once at the Platinum Music Awards during our summer breaks. He writes the lyrics and I sing the songs, which is really ironic because I always thought our roles would be reversed. Pretty funny how the universe works, huh?

My sophomore year of college has just ended, and Andre agreed to come up and visit so we could work on our next song. Right now, he has his "special headphones" on and jamming out to some music he has just put together to go along with the lyrics. His head gyrates up and down as he dances like a spazz to the beat. I videotape him a little bit when he's not paying attention because it's the funniest thing I have ever seen.

He's still listening to the music when his phone rings on my bed. I pick it up and look at the caller ID: Kojeezy. I gasp and almost drop the phone in my moment of shock.

"Andre!" I hiss and shake his shoulder furiously. "ANDRE!"

He glances at me with wide eyes, and I talk to him before he can even ask what's going on. "Kojeezy's on the phone. Answer it!"

He excuses himself and runs into the hallway as I relax on my bed, thinking what the heck they could be talking about out there. Does he want to sign us onto his record label? Or does he just want us to audition?

I ambush him when he comes back. "What did he say? Are we going to become superstars? Does he like our demo CD? Tell me!"

He leans against the wall with his hands in his pockets, a sure sign that he's upset. "He didn't say he liked our CD, Jade."

A wave of disappointment crosses my mind. "Oh…"

"He absolutely loved it."

I usually don't let people touch me, but I'm so caught up in the excitement that I don't stop him when he picks me up and spins me around. "And guess what?" He reaches into his shoulder bag and pulls something out. "I owe our success to you."

I take the object out of his hands and skirt my fingertips over the leather cover. My songwriting journal from when I was little. I haven't seen this in months.

"You… you kept this?" My voice is barely over a whisper.

"I sure did. It gave me inspiration every so often. Reminded me of the old days, the good times." His smile reeks of nostalgia and his mind seems to go elsewhere as he spoke. "It kept me going even when the times got rough."

Then, I bring up something we haven't spoken about in years. "Even when I rejected you like six years ago when you asked me to that dance?"

He stops smiling and stares deep into my eyes, and I feel myself getting lost in them. "Yes."

I step closer to him and wrap my arms around him. "I've always loved you, Andre. I hope you know that."

"Of course I do, Jade. You're everything to me."

"And I'm nothing without you," I whisper in response.

I lift my head up, suddenly aware of the close proximity of our faces. My breath hitches in my chest and I feel his hands clutch my waist. And for a while, reality escapes us and we get lost in each other, kissing as if our lives depend on it.

And the cootie monster definitely isn't to blame for what we have been avoiding all along.

* * *

_Whoa… I have no idea why, but my oneshots seem to be getting longer and longer for some reason. Maybe because my writing is getting better and more detailed? Lol I don't know. _

_Sorry I haven't updated in a while. Senioritis is really getting to me- like I don't want to do ANYTHING anymore for some reason, even writing. I just feel so lazy all the time, which is very unlike me. And I just watched Perks of Being a Wallflower a day or two ago, so I'll be able to write that suggestion soon- when I have the time, that is. Please review!_


	8. Unrequited Love: Torn Between Two Worlds

**Tandre, Angst/Romance, Rewrite of Tori Fixes Beck and Jade**

**Dedicated to Guest (sorry, you didn't mention your name!)**

"_You know… Cat isn't dating anyone right now."_

"_You… are a dangerous person."_

_~Tori and Andre in __Tori Fixes Beck and Jade_

_*****Rated T for mature themes and cursing**_

* * *

People say that being in love with your best friend is one of the hardest things imaginable. You want to be more than friends with him, but you don't want to risk losing him if a conflict should ever occur. Your cheeks grow hot with jealousy and you want to slap that cute little blonde chick that he talks to in the corner in the morning, yet you want him to be happy at the same time- even if it means not being with you. You want to spend every waking moment with him just because you enjoy his company so much, but you don't want to suffocate him and have him get annoyed with you.

You're torn between two different places- keeping him happy or making yourself happy, exploring what could be or reminiscing about what could have been, risking your friendship or risking your sanity. But either way it seems like there are endless possibilities to get hurt in the end.

It's kind of like living through your own personal hell. You have fantasies at night of you two walking along the beach or watching a movie together or just snuggling on the couch. He kisses your temple, whispers sweet nothings into your ear, and makes you feel like you're flying and no one can bring you down. He's the one person that understands you and would never leave your side. But as soon as he kisses you on the lips, full of all that love you've always dreamed of having… you wake up. And then you realize it was just a long, blissful dream that your subconscious made up because you just want him to like you as more than a friend.

But he doesn't. In fact, he has a crush on a girl he can never seem to stop talking about. It annoys me to no end.

Oh… you thought I was just saying all of those deep clichés to be general? To teach you a lifelong lesson about how not to fall in love with your best friend because it will just cause you so much internal pain and torture in the end?

Hell no, I was talking about my own life. What I'm going through right now.

Let me take you back to what has happened so far and you'll see what I mean.

* * *

The irony is that I didn't fall for him until his crush on me faded. When he finally did tell me he had feelings for me, he said he had loved me ever since the day we met, when Trina was paired with him to perform in the big showcase and I helped him put up with her selfishness. He said that his unintentional crush on Jade a year ago formed out of desperation because I had a boyfriend at the time and she was the closest thing to me, even though Jade and I completely despised each other.

Now look how things have changed; he's this close to having his dream girl (which, by the way, isn't me, if that hasn't been drilled into your brain yet) and Jade and I have made amends- sort of. Well we don't hate each other, at least. Or at least I don't think she hates my guts anymore.

Looking back upon that incident, I feel bad telling him that he would only ever be a friend in my eyes, that he was just… Andre. I said it like it was a bad thing, too, which just made the whole situation even worse. He ignored me for days before things were completely back to normal again.

But once he got over me, I started noticing his idiosyncrasies, the things that made him…well, him. The way he seemed to drift into an alternate universe whenever he was writing a new song. How his eyes would shift from side to side when he was anxious about something. I even started thinking about how cute he looked while he was sleeping, all curled up in the fetal position on my sofa, after we pulled an all-nighter rehearsing a scene for an acting test we were supposed to take in Sikowitz's class the next day.

By then, however, it was too late; he was hopelessly in love with a foreign exchange student that had been admitted to Hollywood Arts in the middle of the year. She was from Russia. She astounded everyone with her strong Russian accent and impressed the teachers with her crazy violin-playing skills. She wooed the boys with her sleek, thin legs (that her black stilettos showed off flawlessly) and curvy hips that most girls would kill for. And yes, she just happens to be the blond tramp that talks to Andre every morning before school starts.

That used to be me once upon a time. Go figure.

He chats about her nonstop. At lunch it's all about Catia's new symphony that she has been composing or how she wants Andre's help with writing a song. And when it's just two of us, he's all like "You two have so much in common! You should talk to her sometime and maybe we can all be friends."

Yes, Andre, I get that she's perfect- in your eyes, anyway. Whatever happened to you saying I was perfect and flawless all the time? Now I'm just second best?

They say that people that place second are the biggest losers. I can't agree more with that statement.

Poor Cat was so confused all the time whenever Andre talked about Catia because their names were so similar. She would always whip her head out of whatever she was doing at the moment, ask him which girl he was talking about, and when it wasn't about her she would pout and blurt out some random fact that no one cared about.

See what that girl does? She confuses everyone. She turned Andre's brain to mush, she makes Cat even more scatterbrained than she usually is, and she makes me want to rip my hair out until I'm as bald as Sikowitz.

I just want her to go away so everything will turn back to normal. Then maybe I could somehow take back everything I said and have a chance with him.

What a stupid fantasy that is. This is the real world, Tori, not some utopia where everything turns out alright in the end.

* * *

So here's an update about what's going on at Hollywood Arts. Beck and Jade have been broken up for months now and Beck likes this girl Meredith. However, she constantly tried to steal Beck from Jade in the past, making her incredibly jealous and crabby.

Actually, I take that back; crabby is an understatement. Downright frightening is more like it.

Anywho, Beck doesn't want Jade to find out that he's into Meredith or else he's afraid she would behead her out of jealousy. So during lunch yesterday, I had an idea that involved Andre because I knew he had a crush on her in the past.

Yeah, he didn't take my suggestion like I had hoped he would.

"No no no! I'm not doing that, Tori!" He looked at me incredulously.

"Come on! Please? For Jade?" I begged him.

"I'm not going out on a date with her!"

"You have to! Beck says that boys don't ask Jade out because she scares them. So if you ask her out, boys will notice and they'll want to ask her out," I reasoned.

Andre still wasn't buying it. He shook his head furiously. "I'm still not doing it."

"But what about last year?" I waved my finger in front of his face. "You really liked her."

"And when I was three, I loved my glow-in-the-dark dinosaur boxers," he responded sarcastically. "Things change."

He took a bite of his burrito and I nibbled on my bottom lip, a nervous habit that I had recently developed. "Besides, I'm planning on finally asking Catia out soon. She asked me to help her finish her symphony tomorrow before I have to MC for the Full Moon Jam."

My stomach sank. I thought she wasn't going to make it into the conversation this time and bam! There she appears again. "What are we going to do?" I groaned, completely ignoring his last statement.

"Well, we could always pay someone to ask her out."

"Hmm..." I thought about it for a moment. "That could work. How much do you think we'd have to pay him though?"

Behind us, we heard an ear-piercing voice behind us. "Sinjin!" a girl screamed. That was definitely Jade; she must be rehearsing for her performance tomorrow during the Full Moon Jam. "Fix my microphone right now before I rip out all of your teeth and make them into a pretty little necklace!"

We turned around just in time to see a bunch of tech-crew guys drop whatever they were doing and run inside in fear, and I swore I saw a couple of them with wet patches spreading down their pant legs. Oh boy. This wasn't going to be easy.

Andre sipped his chocolate milk casually. "A lot of money."

* * *

Later that day, we put our plan into action. As soon as we saw our guy making his way towards Jade's locker, I pulled him behind the wall to watch everything unfold. "Ssssh!" I exclaimed quietly. "There he is! There's our guy."

"Cool, cool, how much did you pay for him?" Andre asked, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"A lottttt of money."

We gave Gilbert the go-ahead as he gulped and fidgeted with his hands. "Hey Jade."

She gave him an evil glare and slammed her locker door shut loudly. Gilbert gasped and started to shake uncontrollably.

"Stick to the plan, Gilbert!" I hissed under my breath. This had to go as planned; otherwise we may have been in a boatload of trouble.

"I like your boots," he stammered.

"I hate these boots," she replied automatically.

"Then why do you wear them?"

"Because I like to punish myself."

A creepy smile sneaked across her face, and I was surprised that Gilbert wasn't wetting his pants yet. He was holding up well so far. "I think you look really nice today."

Oh, shit. After holding your ground for so long, Gilbert, you just blew it.

Jade's face contorted into a scowl and she become furious. "Oh, so you're saying that I didn't look nice yesterday?"

He backed away as she started walking slowly towards him. "No, I-"

"That usually I look disgusting, but today I just got lucky?" she ranted on, making people in the hallway stare as she cornered him.

I saw the fear take over him as he slid out of her grasp to look at us. "Forget it!" he shouted, blowing our cover. "I'm not asking her out! You can keep your money!" And with that, he sprinted away as fast as his scrawny legs could carry him.

"Hey!" I shouted, coming out of my hiding place with Andre close behind. "We had a deal, you coward!"

"Coward!" Andre echoed behind me.

Suddenly, we stopped in our tracks and exchanged looks of horror as Jade gave us a look of pure fury. "You…paid a guy…to ask me out?" she seethed. Her hands balled up into fists and her pale face turned a light shade of red.

It only took us a second to figure out what to do. "Run away!" I screamed at Andre, and we both scrambled down the hallway as if our lives depended on it.

* * *

Eventually, we secured a safe haven in the janitor's closet. "I think we lost her," Andre panted as we plastered ourselves against the metal shelves full of various cleaning supplies.

"Yeah, I think so too," I said with relief, equally out of breath from running around the school for a full twenty minutes.

"You think she'll cool down anytime soon?"

"Well, she can only stay mad for so long…"

"So forever?"

"Possibly." I forgot that Jade had a raging temper. She was very good at holding grudges and staying mad for long periods of time. "We just have to wait until her anger fizzles out. Or, you know, until she strangles a bear."

We sank to the ground, exhausted, and just sat there in silence for a good fifteen minutes or so. We didn't care if we were missing class; graduation was coming up soon anyway, so our grades didn't really matter anymore- in our minds, at least. "She has to be gone by now," I commented, leaning my head against the wall. "We should head back to class."

"Sure thing." Andre got up and turned the metal handle on the door to open it. However, there was one slight problem- the door wouldn't open. "Shit, the door is jammed!" he exclaimed, yanking the handle over and over again.

"Great, what do we do now?" I wailed.

"I don't know. We'll get someone in trouble if we call or text people. We'll just have to wait until classes are done before we can get someone to free us."

I sighed. "I guess that's our only option."

He sat down next to me again and I buried my head in my hands. "Hey girl, are you ok?" Andre asked, noticing my distress. If only he knew what was really bothering me right now and had been for days.

"Yes, Andre, I'm fine," I reassured him, lifting my head up.

"Liar. When a girl says she's fine, that's a sure sign that she's lying so she really doesn't have to tell the other person what's going on."

"And what makes you think I have something going on?" I retorted.

"I don't know, you've seemed more bitter than usual lately. Almost as bad as Jade at some points."

I groaned as I hoisted myself up and walked to the other side of the closet. "I've just been over-thinking things, okay? Nothing worthwhile that you need to know."

He got up, crossed his arms in front of his chest, and looked at me pointedly. "Come on, Tori. We're best friends. What is there that you can't tell me?"

"A lot of things," I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing," I dismissed it quickly. "If it was worth you knowing about, I would tell you. But trust me, it's absolutely nothing. I'm a girl, I'm moody, and I overreact to things. Get over it."

"Goddamnit Tori, what's the matter with you?" he practically shouted at me. "What are you overreacting about? And do you hear yourself talking right now?"

"Well maybe I wouldn't be getting all worked up if you would quit bugging me and questioning me about things that don't matter!"

"I'm trying to help you because I care about you!" He threw his hands up in frustration. "You know what? Forget we even had this conversation in the first place."

"Gladly!"

We pouted at each other on the opposite sides of the janitor's closet until I couldn't take it anymore. "I don't like Catia, okay?" I admitted.

"Ah-hah!" he yelled triumphantly. "Wait. Why don't you like her?"

"She's too perfect!" I walk over to him and stand beside him again. "She gets everything she wants without doing anything! All she has to do is bat her eyes and everyone will do everything she says. She's just annoying."

He sighed. "Tori, there's so much to her than that. She's funny and smart and she has a way with a violin. She's so talented at everything she does. But what you don't know is that she works a lot harder than she seems to in order to get to where she's at today. You gotta give her some credit, girl."

"How can I give her credit if the person I want to notice me instead of her keeps talking about her every second of the day? Sometimes I wish he would just open his eyes and see that the girl he really wants has been in front of him all along!"

I finally gained the ability to shut up and I gasped as soon as I heard what I had just said. I was supposed to be saying that in my head, not out of my mouth! His mouth dropped open and his eyes grew ten times bigger than usual. "Huh?"

At that moment, Beck could not have picked a better time to unjam the door and barge in on us. We were so focused on our argument that we didn't hear him join us. "Hey guys."

"Aaaaah!" We screamed and hugged each other tightly, thinking it was Jade trying to murder us. Of course I've hugged Andre plenty of times before, but this time seemed so different. Butterflies were fluttering wildly in my stomach, making me shake uncontrollably. Thankfully, Andre didn't seem to notice.

Beck gave us a queer look and, sighing with relief, we separated. "Thank god it's you, Beck," I said.

"We thought you were Jade."

Suddenly, Jade appeared in front of us, making us scream even louder and hug each other tighter. In our stupidity and panic, we had totally forgotten about the secret passageway that led from the janitor's closet to the library. Cue internal face palm. "Yeahh, this is a bad place to hide from Jade," Beck commented.

She grabbed a roll of toilet paper from one of the shelves and waved it in front of our faces. "I ought to take this roll of toilet paper and _kill_ you both with it!" she growled.

Still holding Andre tightly (secretly wishing that I could stay like that forever), I tilted my head to the side. "How could you kill us with toilet paper?" I wondered out loud.

"Don't you dare question me, Vega!"

"Jade, put it down." The order from Beck surprised her and she glanced at him warily. "Put it. Down."

She paused briefly, probably contemplating whether to listen to him or not, then placed the roll gently at her feet.

No more hugs occurred after that, but somehow we ended up telling Jade about Beck wanting to ask Meredith out. Words were said, misunderstandings were sorted out, and after all was said and done Jade gave Beck permission to ask out Meredith. Nevertheless, even though she told him so nonchalantly, Andre and I knew she didn't like it one bit. She stormed out the door and slammed the door behind her so forcefully that I thought I felt the whole closet shake.

Beck followed her out shortly after, and then I was going to exit next when a voice stopped me. "Tori?"

Startled, I whipped my head around to see Andre staring at me with an unreadable expression on his face, which disturbed me greatly because I had no idea what the heck he was thinking. "We need to talk."

I gritted my teeth together in anger and squinted my eyes at him. "There is nothing left to say. Ask out Catia. I don't give a damn. It's obvious you two belong together."

With that being said, I whirled back around and ran into the hallways towards my next class. Tears threatened to run down my face and ruin my makeup, but I wiped them away furiously with my fists.

I may have been able to escape that conversation, but I haven't been able to escape my personal hell- not yet, anyway.

* * *

So here I am, the following night, at the Full Moon Jam, watching the sappiest thing I have ever seen. It was like it should've happened in a movie, not here of all places. Jade sang a song, which she subtlety sang for Beck, and now they were making out on stage as if somehow all of their past problems had disappeared into thin air. I was happy for the both of them, of course, but I was in such a bad mood because of what happened yesterday that all I could think about was how I wish it was me having my happy ending up there on that stage instead of them.

Instead, I'm down here screwing up my life and my relationship with my friends. Yippee skip.

At that moment, I decide to tell Andre how I feel. We haven't talked to each other all day since our fight and it has been killing me inside. Did I just ruin everything? Why won't Andre talk to me and attempt to work things out with me? How are things between him and Catia?

I see Andre talking to someone in the far corner and I grasp at my chance_. It's now or never, _I motivate myself. _It's now or never._

Boy, do my eyes deceive me. As I got closer to him, I see that Beck and Jade weren't the only ones making out that night. Andre had his lips all over Catia, his hands clasping her curvy waist and barely grazing her perfectly toned thighs. She's wearing her black stilettos, as usual (sometimes I think she even sleeps with them on, she wear them so much), along with a blood-red dress that matched the color of her lips. It hugs her body tightly, showing off all of her incredible features.

She's like the devil in disguise. My blood boils at seeing him practically devouring her face off. God, don't they have the decency to get a room? That way, they wouldn't have to torture me like this.

I'm such an idiot. I had to open my big mouth not once, but twice, and now I'm paying the price for my actions. I feel like my heart is being yanked out of my chest and pulled a million ways in different directions.

I just… I don't know. I feel so broken. Heartbroken, to be more specific.

Something brushes against my exposed shoulder, making me squeak and jump out of my reverie. I turn around and see something that has to be too good to be true. He scans me up and down with piercing blue eyes, his muscles nearly bursting out his skin, they're so huge. His mouth curve into a dashing smile as he grasps one of my hands and brings it to his impeccably–shaped lips. "A little forward much?" I smirk at him.

He blushes ever so slightly. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. I'm Trevor." Keeping my hand in his grasp, he shakes it. "Nice to meet you, Tori Vega."

"How do you know my name?" I ask him.

"Everyone knows your name here, Tori. You're like a legend. You get picked for all the leads in the school plays, you sing every song like an angel, and you have one of the highest GPA's in the class of 2013."

I blush at his compliments, and then I have an idea that seems so brilliant at the time. I take one last glance over at Andre and Catia, almost crushing Trevor's fingers in the process, and turn my flirt on. "Wanna get out of here? There's an after-party I'd _love_ to take you to if you weren't invited already."

I squint at him seductively and he seems to take the hint. He shoots me a pearly-white smile. "Yes ma'am."

Little did I know that was the worst possible decision I have made in my entire life.

* * *

I wake up not knowing where the heck I am. My vision is blurry, distorting everything into a flurry of colors randomly scattered everywhere, before focusing on my surroundings. I'm inside a house that is very familiar, though I can't quite put my finger on it just yet.

I attempt to sit up only to be sideswiped by a sharp pain radiating down my back. I yelp and crash back down onto the couch I was placed on, sweating profusely in panic. What the hell is going on right now? Where is Trevor?

"Tori!" I hear someone call my name from the other side of the room, and I witness a dark blur zoom to my side. He places a cold, damp towel across my forehead and strokes my hair gently. "Thank god you're awake."

Wait… I'm in Andre's house? What?

"Andre, what happened?" I hear myself garble weakly. What the hell happened to my voice? "One minute I was at a party and the next minute I'm lying on a couch."

Andre stays silent, probably debating on whether to tell me the truth or not. He stops stroking my hair and his hand tenses up on the back of my neck. "Andre? Answer me, please," I beg him, forgetting about my weakened voice and the pain in my back for a moment.

He rests his face in his hands for a second before even daring to face me. "You were almost raped, Tori."

I feel like someone has punched me in the stomach as almost all of the air drains out of my lungs in shock. "What?! How?" I gasp, tears trickling out of my eyelids and splashing onto my cheeks.

"I saw you leaving the Full Moon Jam with a guy I've never seen before and I followed you. I was invited to Seth's party too anyway, but that guy did not give off a good vibe. He made me suspicious. I left you two alone for a while, thinking that you were just going to blow your top if I even tried to approach you, but I kept a close eye on you guys from the back of the room."

He sighs, as if the weight of the world is upon his shoulders. "I saw him spike your drink when you weren't looking, Tori, and I wasn't able to stop you from drinking it. Then, he took you outside and led you into the forest surrounding Seth's backyard. I saw him slam you against a tree trunk and try to kiss you. You slapped him because you weren't quite hammered enough yet to have him get his way, but he got mad and knocked your head against the tree, knocking you out. I tackled him and slugged him in the jaw before he could do any more to you."

"What about Catia? I saw you two talking earlier. Did she say yes when you asked her out?" I lie through my teeth, trying to erase what I had actually seen earlier tonight.

"She did, but she started getting a little…handsy. Like Sherry but worse."

I smirk internally. Hell, that was a huge understatement if I ever heard one. "Is that even possible? Sherry had her lips on you all the time at prome last year, if I remember correctly."

"Trust me; it was downright disturbing," he chuckles, even though his eyes were devoid of amusement.

I ask him to help me up, and he agrees. He takes the cloth off my forehead and steadies my lower back as I attempt to stand up. However, a wave of dizziness steamrolls me and I stumble in my pink high-heel sandals, accidently bashing my head into Andre's chest. "Oh god, I feel like shit," I groan.

He snickers. "Well, you don't look so hot either."

At that, the dizziness faded away and I smacked his chest in irritation. "You asshole."

"Hey, you're the one who bitched at me yesterday!"

I don't respond to this and I pause to come to my senses. "So…you ditched Catia for me?" My voice wobbles as the words spill out of my mouth.

He nods his head thoughtfully. "I guess I did. I could never leave you alone, Tori, especially when I thought something fishy was going on. You're my best friend."

"Yeah, and that's all I'll ever be," I mutter and walk away from him, biting my lip as the pain continues to burn through my back.

"Tori!" he says sharply, grabbing my arm and whirling me around to face him. 'You can't just keep pushing me away like this. What is up with you? You're not acting like the bubbly muchacha I thought I knew."

I hissed in defeat. "Fine, I'll tell you what has been bugging me for days, Andre. I'm an idiot. I turned you away when you asked me out only to fall for you a couple of months later. I've been standing in the background, contemplating whether I should risk everything we have by asking you out or torture myself by watching you ask out other girls. Obviously I chose the second one, but it drove me absolutely nuts. And now look at us. I almost got raped by some guy I thought was a fucking god and you are hopelessly in love with Catia-"

"I was never in love with her," he says quietly. "I was only trying to get over you."

My heart jumps wildly in my chest and I clam up immediately. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. Like I told you before, I've loved you from day one. I never gave up hope that one day you'd reciprocate my feelings for you."

I bite my lip nervously. "So…where does this leave us now?"

His eyes shift upwards as he thinks of an answer. "Yes."

"Huh?"

"Yes, I'll go out with you."

He pulls me into a hug and I bury my head into his shoulder, letting tears of pent-up fear and relief leak into his leather jacket. I have him back; he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I don't know what I would've done if he had left me all alone with that guy tonight. I could've died. There's no way I'll ever be able to thank him for what he did for me, nor a way that I'll ever be able to let him go now.

Being torn between two different places at once is hard, but there is a bright light at the end of the tunnel, a decision you'll have to make someday. You can choose to take the easy way out and hurt yourself in the process, or you can take a chance and throw caution to the wind.

Because, just maybe, by taking that chance you'll find something wonderful, something worth fighting for.

* * *

_Holy crap, I haven't updated this story in a while, but I decided to write one of these oneshots because I currently have writer's block on Following the Stars. I was contemplating whether to have them kiss at the end or not, but given the condition I put Tori in, I didn't think it was appropriate. But I hope that was enough angst in there to last a lifetime lol. Please review and leave your suggestions! Because who knows which one I'll end up choosing next :)._


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